Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has acknowledged that it unlawfully collected the DNA of about 2,000 U.S. citizens and uploaded it into the FBI’s national database, according to newly released data. The revelation comes amid a massive expansion of federal genetic surveillance under the Trump administration.
The practice stems from a 2020 rule change to the 2005 DNA Fingerprint Act, which removed discretion to exempt noncitizens in immigration detention from DNA collection. Between 2020 and 2024, CBP added as many as 2.8 million profiles to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), compared with only 30,000 over the previous 15 years, Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology reports.
Of that total, DNA from at least 1,947 American citizens—including more than 40 minors—was added. Nearly 900 citizens had their DNA taken without ever being formally charged. Georgetown researchers warned that civil detainees, unlike criminal defendants, face far fewer legal protections and in many cases were unaware their DNA had been collected.
Once uploaded, profiles remain in CODIS indefinitely, raising concerns about misuse by law enforcement. Advocates say the practice violates Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches. “Those spreadsheets tell a chilling story,” said Stevie Glaberson of Georgetown Law, citing DNA collected from citizens as young as 4 years old.
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