Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, is looking for details from the Trump administration regarding what he describes as a “serene expansion” of DNA collection efforts aimed at immigrants, including children.
In a letter addressed to Homeland Security Secretaries Christie Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi, Wyden expressed concern that this DNA surveillance “seems to be mainly motivated by the Trump administration’s negative stance on immigration.” He voiced worries that such widespread monitoring could lead to increased policing of immigrant communities, potentially deterring them from accessing essential services.
The letter was made public by Wyden’s office on Thursday.
Citing recent research, Wyden noted that the number of DNA samples collected by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has surged by over 5,000% in the past five years, according to data from Georgetown University Law School.
During just the first four months of this year, CBP added more than 150,000 individuals to the government’s DNA database, as found by researchers.
Wyden has requested that the Trump administration respond by August 1 with information regarding the U.S. interest in collecting DNA from non-citizens involved in immigration enforcement.
He also questioned the types of information that can be derived from the DNA collected and whether it could be used to ascertain ethnic or racial details about individuals.
Wyden warned that this DNA information could eventually be utilized by law enforcement for various future investigations, referencing findings from Georgetown researchers that highlighted the targeting of many children in these collection efforts, including those as young as four.
“There are numerous unanswered questions regarding the Trump administration’s regulations that expand DNA data collection,” he remarked.
The senator drew a troubling parallel between these efforts and China’s practices, which the U.S. has criticized for forced DNA collection.
“A government that exercises expansive discretion to collect DNA without consent resembles a repressive authoritarian regime, engaged in severe human rights abuses such as genocide, ethnic cleansing, and torture,” he stated.
A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified that CBP collects DNA samples from individuals arrested on federal charges and from immigrants detained who meet certain criteria.
“To secure our borders, CBP utilizes all resources available to identify who is present in our country,” said DHS. “We will not allow terrorists, human smugglers, child traffickers, or other criminals to invade American communities.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the letter.
Concerns about DNA usage in immigration enforcement have been raised by Democrats since the early days of Trump’s presidency, particularly concerning a pilot program to gather biometric samples from detained immigrants. In contrast, the Biden administration has rejected Trump’s proposed expansions of these collection practices.
