For years, the federal government has been amassing DNA profiles of noncitizens. But recently released Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data reveal that officials knowingly collected the DNA of approximately 2,000 American citizens and added it to a national genetic surveillance database used by law enforcement.

This genetic collection was made possible by a March 2020 rule change to the 2005 DNA Fingerprint Act, which removed the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) discretion to exempt detained noncitizens from DNA collection. This drastically expanded the number of DNA samples the DHS collects and uploads to the federal database known as the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

Between 2020 and 2024, the CBP alone—which is only one of the many agencies under DHS—added between 1.3

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