US. collects DNA of migrant children, adds to crime database

U.S. immigration authorities are collecting and uploading the DNA of migrants, including children, into a national criminal database, according to government records released earlier this month.

According to The Guardian, on Saturday, May 31, 2025, this practice is spearheaded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

It is reportedly raising serious concerns among privacy and human rights experts, who warn it marks a significant expansion of genetic surveillance in the country.

The DNA data is reportedly stored in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (Codis).

CODIS is a nationwide database used by law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal levels to identify individuals linked to crime scenes.

Traditionally, Codis has included DNA profiles of individuals who were either arrested for or convicted of crimes.

However, most of the migrants whose DNA is now being collected by CBP have not been accused of any criminal offenses, let alone serious ones.

Despite this, their genetic information is being permanently added to the database, where it can be searched by law enforcement indefinitely.

Wired magazine, which first reported on the documents, estimates that CBP has uploaded DNA profiles from more than 133,000 migrant children and teens to Codis.

Shockingly, one of the youngest individuals in the database is just four years old.

Hilton Beckham, CBP’s assistant commissioner for public affairs, defended the practice.

He stated that the agency is using all available resources to secure the border and prevent criminals such as human traffickers and smugglers from entering the United States.

“To that end,” he said:

“CBP collects DNA samples from individuals in our custody who are arrested on federal charges, and from non-citizens detained under our authority who are subject to fingerprinting and not otherwise exempt.”

However, a report released by Georgetown University’s Center on Privacy and Technology found that CBP is collecting DNA from nearly every migrant it detains, regardless of the length of their detention.

Since 2020, CBP has added more than 1.5 million DNA profiles to Codis—a staggering 5,000% increase over just three years.

The report’s co-author, Emerald Tse, called this development “a massive expansion of genetic surveillance and an unjustified invasion of privacy.”

Tse added that the program reinforces harmful stereotypes about immigrants.

According to him, it also intensifies law enforcement practices that disproportionately impact immigrant communities and communities of color.

“This makes us all less safe,” she said in a statement.

The CBP documents include detailed information about each individual from whom DNA was collected: age, country of origin, where they were transferred, and any charges filed against them.

These records date back to 2020, with the most recent entries from early 2025.

Of the more than 130,000 minors whose data has been uploaded, around 230 were under the age of 13, and over 30,000 were between 14 and 17.

CBP began DNA collection under a pilot program launched in 2020.

This follows a Department of Justice mandate that required the agency to begin submitting DNA to Codis within three years.

At the time, CBP stated it would collect DNA from non-citizens aged 14 to 79.

Although Homeland Security and CBP policies generally exclude children under 14 from DNA collection, the documents show that this guideline is not strictly followed.

Field officers appear to have discretion in deciding whom to swab.

The Georgetown report noted that such large-scale DNA collection would be far more difficult in the traditional criminal justice system.

Prior to 2020, most offender DNA in Codis came from law enforcement agencies.

It reportedly followed strict legal guidelines on how, when, and from whom DNA could be collected.

In contrast, the immigration system has much looser constraints.

In this context, DNA can be taken from anyone classified as “detained” – a term that the report describes as vague and inconsistently applied.

CBP says it does not keep the DNA samples itself but sends them directly to the FBI, where they are stored indefinitely.

The report poses thought-provoking questions about the long-term consequences of government-held genetic data.

It asks readers to consider how they would feel knowing the government possessed a sample of their DNA containing their “entire genetic code,” stored “indefinitely in a government-controlled refrigerator in a warehouse in Northern Virginia.”

The report also warns that such surveillance could have chilling effects on individuals’ behavior.

These include seeking medical or reproductive care, attending protests, or simply associating with certain groups.

This raises profound concerns about civil liberties and privacy in the United States.

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