DHS Collected DNA of Nearly 2,000 US Citizens, Including Minors, Without Congressional Authorization
By
righthand
Crisp on the outside, thoughtful on the inside. A keeper.
Summary
Newly released government data reveals that the Department of Homeland Security, through Customs and Border Protection, has been collecting DNA from nearly 2,000 US citizens—including minors as young as 14—between 2020 and 2024 and funneling the samples into CODIS, the FBI's national crime database. This genetic surveillance expansion was never authorized by Congress for citizens, children, or civil detainees, according to Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy & Technology, raising serious concerns about oversight, legality, and privacy rights.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledFor years, Customs and Border Protection agents have been quietly harvesting DNA from American citizens, including minors, and funneling the samples into an FBI crime database, government data shows.
This expansion of genetic surveillance was never authorized by Congress for citizens, children, or civil detainees.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, collected the DNA of nearly 2,000 US citizens between 2020 and 2024 and had it sent to CODIS, the FBI's nationwide system.
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