US will collect DNA from people detained at the border for an FBI database

The Trump Administration has announced it will start collecting DNA from some people detained at the border as part of a pilot program.

Starting Monday, officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection will collect DNA from people detained at the Canadian border near Detroit and at the Mexican border near Eagle Pass, Texas.

Border agents will collect the DNA using mouth swabs then send samples to the FBI to be used in its criminal database known as CODIS. The collection will apply to people detained by border patrol aged 14 and up, including immigrants, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

Citing the 2005 DNA Fingerprint Act, the Department of Homeland Security says federal law enforcement agencies can collect DNA from people “who are arrested, facing charges or non-U.S. persons detained under the authority of the United States.”

People who refuse the test could face a misdemeanor charge, according to a memo issued by the department.

The pilot program will last for 90 days, CBP said in a news release. If successful, CBP will expand to include more agents and sites collecting the samples over the next three years.

The American Civil Liberties Union previously raised concerns about the DNA collection when officials announced the plan in the fall.

“To us, what this looks like is a mass DNA collection effort on the part of very vulnerable immigrants in immigration detention,” ACLU detention attorney Stephen Kang told McClatchy News.

This story was originally published January 7, 2020 at 11:17 AM.