proposed DNA collection rule for detained migrants
reuters

A proposal was released on Monday by President Donald Trump's administration on extending the extraction and documentation of DNA samples from an immigrant who is detained by immigration personnel. This had caused protest among citizens and certain groups who stand in the belief that the government should not acquire sensitive information such as a person's DNA regardless of the intensity and type of the crimes they are being charged.

Earlier this month of October, senior officials of the Department of Homeland Security had announced during a conference meeting through a phone call that border patrol will be administered and handled by the Department of Homeland Security to help acquire DNA samples from captured illegal migrants.

Based on a statement by one senior official of the DHS, the proposed DNA collection rule for detained migrants will possess a larger scope and bigger population among the migrant population under the custody of the US government.

The DNA results will not only be used by the US government to locate maternal and paternal relations but also to produce a record of the identity of migrants who were found out of illegally staying in the country. The information which will be gathered from the DNA of these detained migrants will be inputted in the Combined DNA Index System of the United States of America called the CODIS. CODIS is operated and maintained by the FBI.

The Department of Homeland Security had also launched a preliminary program called Operation Double Helix for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to identify and locate family relationships between offspring and parents who are under their custody.

Based on the statement released by the DHS, the ICE campaign of the US government will be replaced by the proposed DNA collection rule for detained migrants. The proposal will contain a bigger scope of DNA profiling for migrants.

According to an attorney staff of the American Civil Liberties Union, the proposal of Trump's administration diverges from the purpose of DNA sampling as a criminal investigation to a population survey research activity.

The attorney staff of the American Civil Liberties Union also added that the collection of DNA samples from migrants is an illegal and immoral act against the privacy and civil rights of the migrants that lacks legal support. This statement is strengthened by the fact that the DHS already has a less controversial system such as fingerprinting.

The proposed DNA collection rule for detained migrants will erase all the limitations set by the Obama administration in 2010 for the DHS on the DNA collection methods among detained migrants.

During the time of Obama's leadership, only those who were charged with criminal acts are allowed to undergo DNA extraction by the government. This was under the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005.

According to the DHS, they are currently preparing for the proper implementation of the program. It also rejects to release any statement if migrant children with no parents or guardians accompanying them will also be subject to the new program proposed by Trump's administration.