The DHS has been quietly harvesting DNA from Americans for years

For several years, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been covertly collecting DNA samples from American citizens, including minors, and submitting these samples to the FBI's crime database, according to recent government data. This practice, aimed at expanding genetic surveillance, has been executed without congressional authorization for citizens, children, or those held in civil detention. An analysis conducted by Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy & Technology reveals that between 2020 and 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees CBP, gathered DNA from nearly 2,000 individuals in the U.S., including approximately 95 minors, some as young as 14. Alarmingly, these records also encompass travelers who were never charged with any crime, with numerous entries lacking any charges entirely. In various instances, CBP officers cited civil penalties as reasons for collecting DNA, a practice that federal law typically reserves for criminal arrests. Experts are raising concerns that this program appears to operate beyond legal and oversight boundaries, with CBP agents exercising considerable discretion in obtaining genetic material from American citizens to be funneled into a law enforcement database primarily intended for individuals with criminal convictions. Critics highlight that inclusion in this database could lead to increased scrutiny by U.S. law enforcement for those affected for the rest of their lives. "The data reveals a disturbing narrative," states Stevie Glaberson, the director of research and advocacy at Georgetown’s Center on Privacy & Technology. "It indicates that DNA has been taken from individuals as young as four and as old as 93, and our analysis shows clear violations of the law by CBP in collecting DNA from citizens without proper justification." As of now, the DHS has not commented on these findings.