US border patrol collected DNA from thousands of US citizens for years, data shows

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/23/us-border-patrol-dna-data

US border patrol collected DNA from thousands of US citizens for years, data shows

CBP officers took DNA samples from about 2,000 citizens, some as young as 14 and many who never faced criminal charges, new analysis shows

Johana Bhuiyan
Tue 23 Sep 2025 17.49 EDT

In March 2021, a 25-year-old US citizen was traveling through Chicago’s Midway airport when they were stopped by US border patrol agents. Though charged with no crime, the 25-year-old was subjected to a cheek swab to collect their DNA, which was sent to the FBI, according to a new report. The unnamed citizen was later admitted into the country. Their DNA was added to the FBI’s database of genetic material despite the lack of criminal charges.

The 25-year-old is one of about 2,000 US citizens whose DNA was collected between 2020 and 2024 by the Department of Homeland Security and shared with the FBI, researchers from Georgetown’s Center on Privacy and Technology found in an analysis of recently released data from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP officers took genetic material from some citizens as young as 14, according to the report.

“In a flagrant and alarming abuse of power, the DHS has been regularly collecting DNA from US citizens without legal justification,” said Stevie Glaberson, the director of research and advocacy at Georgetown’s privacy center. “The lack of checks on DHS’s collection power we think renders the program unconstitutional and violates the fourth amendment.”

Once immigration authorities collect DNA and share it with the FBI, it is stored in a database called the Combined DNA Index System (Codis), which is used across the country by local, state and federal law enforcement to identify suspects of crimes using their DNA. A May 2024 report, also from Georgetown’s Center on Privacy and Technology, found that CBP had been collecting the DNA information of every migrant detained. Border patrol was also collecting and sharing the DNA information of migrant children, according to the agency’s data. Initial estimates show that the sensitive genetic information of about 133,000 teens and children was being uploaded and stored in this federal criminal database in perpetuity.

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“If you think that your status as a citizen protects you from of the authoritarian practices, this is proof that it does not and will not,” she said.

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