Newly surfaced internal documents reveal a significant increase in DNA collection by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the most recent year of the second Trump administration. According to the data, nearly one million individuals have had their genetic information processed and uploaded into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

This expansion of the federal database includes a substantial number of people who have never been convicted of a criminal offense. The practice has drawn scrutiny from privacy advocates and legal experts who question the long-term implications of storing genetic data for individuals who have not been found guilty of a crime. While the government maintains that these collections are part of standard processing procedures for those entering the immigration system, the sheer volume of the data—which includes samples from young children—has sparked a debate regarding the balance between national security and individual privacy rights.

There is a notable disagreement regarding the necessity and ethical implications of this policy. Critics argue that the permanent storage of DNA from non-convicted individuals constitutes a form of mass surveillance that lacks sufficient oversight. Conversely, proponents of the current immigration enforcement strategy often emphasize the importance of biometric identification in maintaining border security and tracking individuals within the immigration system. The documents highlight that once this information is entered into the FBI database, it remains there indefinitely, regardless of the individual's subsequent legal status or the outcome of their immigration proceedings.