The Trump Administration Will Expand DNA Collection of Migrants
The Trump administration is moving forward with its plan to dramatically expand DNA testing of illegal migrants at the southern border, a move intended to help control the immigration crisis.
Border Patrol agents will soon have the ability to collect DNA samples of migrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement Wednesday. DHS had already implemented a pilot program that tested family relations; however, the new, broad program will be able to identify migrants.
The announcement confirms a Justice Department draft regulation BuzzFeed News obtained in August.
DNA testing is intended to prevent fraudulent claims by migrants who attempt to claim to be part of a family unit when they arrive at the southern border. Authorities cannot detain migrant families for longer than 20 days because of U.S. immigration laws, resulting in migrants’ release before their asylum claims can be adjudicated. This practice, which is typically referred to as “catch and release,” has prompted many migrants to bring unrelated children and infants along with them on the dangerous journey to the border.
When DHS rolled out its pilot program, known as Operation Double Helix 1.0, authorities determined that 16 out of 84 families were fraudulent, meaning that they weren’t actually families, according to DHS. Authorities found 79 out of 522 families to be fraudulent in Operation Double Helix 2.0, CNN reported. (Read more from “The Trump Administration Will Expand DNA Collection of Migrants” HERE)
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