WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – The U.S. government has launched a pilot program to collect DNA from people in immigration custody.
The program to collect and submit DNA to the FBI launched Monday with plans to expand it across the entire borders with Canada and Mexico.
Border agents will be authorized to collect DNA samples from individuals who are arrested, facing charges, or convicted and from non-United States citizens who are detained under the authority of the United States.
The data would go into a massive criminal database run by the FBI, where it would be held indefinitely.
Immigrant advocates and privacy experts have raised alarms and questioned whether data collected to stop criminal activity could instead be used for surveillance.
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