Full Report
Customs and Border Protection has swabbed the DNA of migrant children as young as 4, whose genetic data is uploaded to an FBI-run database that can track them if they commit crimes in the future.
Analysis Summary
# Main Topic
The controversial US government practice, led by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), of collecting DNA samples from migrant children, including those as young as four years old, and uploading this genetic data into the FBI's centralized criminal database, CODIS, for future tracking purposes.
## Key Points
- CBP collected DNA samples from an estimated 133,539 migrant children and teenagers between October 2020 and the end of 2024.
- The youngest recorded subject whose DNA was collected in this manner was 4 years old.
- Genetic data is uploaded to the FBI-run Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a database traditionally used for convicted violent offenders and sex criminals.
- The stated justification by the Department of Justice (DOJ) is to assess potential future danger posed by migrants and aid in solving future crimes.
- Concerns were raised that raw genetic material will be stored indefinitely, potentially leading to broader profiling without adequate safeguards.
- Scope: CBP swabbed between 829,000 and 2.8 million individuals in total during the analyzed period, with experts estimating over 1.5 million unique individuals.
## Threat Actors
- **Threat Actor (Implied):** US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are the entities executing this data collection activity.
- **Attribution:** U.S. Government Agencies.
- **Motivation:** Border security, migrant tracking, and future crime solving/identification.
## TTPs
- **TTP 1: Biometric Data Collection:** Non-consensual or mandated collection of biological material (cheek swabs) from individuals in custody.
- **TTP 2: DNA Profiling:** Processing of raw genetic material into analyzable genetic profiles.
- **TTP 3: Database Ingestion:** Uploading genetic profiles into specialized, national-level criminal investigation databases (CODIS) intended for suspects.
- **TTP 4: Indefinite Retention:** Storing raw genetic material perpetually with potential for mission creep.
## Affected Systems
- **Source System:** United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detention/processing centers.
- **Data Storage/Processing System:** FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
- **Victims:** Migrant children and teenagers entering the US border (minimum age cited: 4 years old).
## Mitigations
*Note: Since this is derived from a disclosure report about government operations rather than a traditional cyber attack, mitigations pertain to policy oversight and data governance, rather than technical fixes.*
- **Policy Reform:** Immediate review and potential suspension of DNA collection practices involving minors.
- **Data Governance:** Establishment of robust "guardrails" concerning the long-term storage and use limitations of juvenile DNA profiles.
- **Scope Limitation:** Restriction of CODIS enrollment exclusively to individuals convicted of serious felonies, as originally intended.
- **Oversight:** Increased transparency and auditing of data sharing between CBP and FBI databases related to individuals without criminal convictions.
## Conclusion
The expansion of government-mandated DNA collection targeting migrant children and its integration into the national criminal database (CODIS) represents a significant expansion of government biometric surveillance. The primary risk is the creation of permanent criminal records for minors crossing the border, establishing a foundation for future, potentially unwarranted, profiling. Defense measures require urgent legislative and policy intervention to restrict the scope and retention duration of these genetic samples.