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DOJ to Treat Immigrants Like Criminals by Collecting DNA Samples
by Kevin Bliss
In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that federal Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents will begin collecting DNA samples for criminal investigation from immigrants designated for detention in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, including children and those legally seeking asylum.
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More from this issue:
- Coronavirus: A Nationwide Survey of the Push for Early Release as Pandemic Fears Grow, by Christopher Zoukis
- Early Prison Release for Gangsta Rapper Sped Up by Coronavirus, by Edward Lyon
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Prioritizing Jails Over Hospitals Has Made Rural US More Vulnerable to COVID-19, by Jasmine Heiss, Jack Norton
- May Update: Protect Yourself and Your Facility from COVID-19, by Michael D. Cohen, MD
- Recent Exonerees Give the Public Advice on Being Locked Down: You Have No Idea, by Dale Chappell
- Lawsuit: Release Prisoners in Virus Tinderbox to Home Confinement, by David Reutter
- Prison Postcards: Prisoners Write About Fears, Incompetence, at Their Facilities, by Ken Silverstein
- Rikers Island Prisoners Helped with Preparations to Bury the Coronavirus Dead
- Federal Judge “Troubled” by Arizona Prison Director’s Response to Coronavirus; State Rep Calls it “Reckless”, by Dale Chappell
- California Publishes Use of Force in Prisons Report, by Anthony Accurso
- Connecticut Prisoners Win Lawsuit After Hepatitis Exposure, by Edward Lyon
- Nevada Prisoner Prevails in Good Time Deprivation Appeal, by Edward Lyon
- California Three-Judge Court Denies Emergency Motion to Reduce Prison Population During Pandemic, by Christopher Zoukis
- Federal Court Grants Default Summary Judgment in Favor of Indiana Prisoner as Sanction for State’s Lies, by Dale Chappell
- Arkansas Supreme Court Denies Prisoner Preliminary Injunction on Religious Issues, by Anthony Accurso
- How Prepared Are State Prison Systems for a Viral Pandemic?, by Emily Widra, Peter Wagner
- Suit: Mississippi Man Sentenced to Two Days Hangs Himself After Jail Kept Him 52 Days Longer, by Douglas Ankney
- Emergency Cancellation of Attorney Visits Subject to Court Oversight, by David Reutter
- Undisclosed Settlement in Kentucky Case a Textbook Case of Negligent Privatized Prison Medical Care, by David Reutter
- Illinois Supreme Court: Settlements with Private Companies When Contracted for Government Service Are Public Record, by Kevin Bliss
- Coalition Fights to Ensure Jailed Voters in Arizona Can Vote, by Scott Grammer
- Mass Incarceration, Meet COVID-19 Opportunity to release prisoners with little public safety risk is clear, by Sharon Dolovich
- Multiple Indictments, Prison Sentences, for Guards and Officials at Violence-Plagued Cleveland Jail, by Edward Lyon
- Another Prisoner Dies at Tennessee Prison Run By CoreCivic, by Matthew Clarke
- Texas Prison Health Care Costs at Record High Despite Population Reduction, by Matthew Clarke
- DOJ to Treat Immigrants Like Criminals by Collecting DNA Samples, by Kevin Bliss
- Minnesota Prison Bans “No Touch” Rule, by Edward Lyon
- ICE Diverts Needed Face Masks from Medical Professionals, by Kevin Bliss
- Alabama Grandma Sentenced to Life on Drug Charge Finally Paroled, by David Reutter
- Paroled New Yorker Wrongfully Confined; Awarded $3,250, by Kevin Bliss
- Michigan Permits Prisoners to Seek Financial Assistance for College, by Bill Barton
- New Yorker Held Three Years at Rikers Island Before Acquittal, by Matthew Clarke
- Arizona DOC Raids Prisoner-Generated Funds to Pay for Lock Repairs; Whistleblower Says Records Being Falsified, by Matthew Clarke
- Kentucky Governor’s Executive Order Restores Voting Rights for Felons, by David Reutter
- Women Advocate for the Release of COVID-19 At-Risk Prisoners in Indiana, by Kevin Bliss
- Arizona Court Denies Emergency COVID-19 Motion, by David Reutter
- D.C. Juvenile Offender Finally Released After 26 Years Behind Bars, by Bill Barton
- Ohio Prisoner’s Facebook Live a Plea for Help During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Santa Rita Jail Accused of Slave Labor in California Class Action, by Kevin Bliss
- Open Prison: Lessons from the Past, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
- Chatham County Jail Reverses On Book Ban But Limits Number of Publications, by David Reutter
- $25 Million Jury Award to Baltimore City Prisoner For Guards Setting Up Retaliatory Gang Attack, by Dale Chappell
- Third Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Pennsylvania Prisoners’ Dry Cell Suit, by David Reutter
- Leaving Prison for a Real Home in California, by Edward Lyon
- Health Care Services Killing Women at Virginia Prison, by David Reutter
- $120,000 Settlement for Minnesota Woman Forced to Remove Hijab for Booking, by David Reutter
- News in Brief
More from Kevin Bliss:
- After Florida Appellate Court Holds Crimes of ‘Attempt’ Eligible for Incentive Gain Time, Supreme Court Refuses Review, Jan. 15, 2025
- LGBTQ+ Detainees at Rikers Island Suffer Under Mayor Adams, Sept. 15, 2023
- Government Watchdog Adds BOP to List at “High Risk” of Mismanagement, Sept. 15, 2023
- At Massive and Corrupt Philippine Prison, Contraband Includes Jacuzzis and Horses, Sept. 15, 2023
- Second Circuit Affirms $600,000 Punitive Damage Award to New York Prisoner Brutally Beaten by Guards, Sept. 15, 2023
- Maryland Sheriff Charged with Illegally Procuring Machine Guns from ATF, Sept. 15, 2023
- Voting Rights Restoration for Virginia Ex-Felons Once Again Subject to Governor’s Whim, Sept. 15, 2023
- Prison Profiteer Who Chairs Christian Seminary Board Called Not Very ‘Christlike’, Aug. 15, 2023
- Menstruation Weaponized Against Women in Prison, Aug. 15, 2023
- Idaho Revives Firing Squads, Aug. 15, 2023
More from these topics:
- Florida Supreme Court Announces “Results” of Postconviction DNA Testing Under § 925.11 Include Underlying Testing Data Necessary for Expert Analysis, Holding That No Additional Burden Applies Once a Motion for Testing Has Been Granted, June 1, 2026. DNA Testing/Samples, Disclosure of Records, Public Records, Forensic Sciences, Scientific Testimony or Evidence.
- Your DNA Was at the Scene, But You Weren’t: How Touch DNA Is Convicting the Innocent, June 1, 2026. DNA Testing/Samples, junk science, Wrongful Conviction, DNA Evidence, Evidence - Admissibility, Claim of Innocence.
- Swabbed at Booking, Searched for Life: How Pre-Conviction DNA Collection Built a Genetic Mass Surveillance System, April 1, 2026. DNA Testing/Samples, Databases, Effects of Mass Incarceration.
- The Unintentional Informant: Household Pets as Vectors of Human DNA, March 1, 2026. DNA Testing/Samples, Forensic Sciences, DNA Evidence, Evidence - Integrity/Reliability of, Scientific Testimony or Evidence.
- Zombie Forensics: Discredited Science Stalking the Courtroom, Dec. 15, 2025. DNA Testing/Samples, junk science, Forensic Sciences, Opinions and Expert Testimony.
- Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Warrantless Buccal Swab Pursuant to Discovery Order Violates Fourth Amendment, Overrules Inevitable Discovery Precedent, and Clarifies Accomplice-Corroboration Statute Applies Only to Sworn Testimony, Dec. 15, 2025. DNA Testing/Samples, Warrantless Searches, Good Faith Exception, Hearsay Evidence/Exceptions, Exclusionary Rule.
- DHS Has Been Quietly Collecting DNA From U.S. Citizens for Years, Funneling It Into FBI’s CODIS Without Oversight, Oct. 15, 2025. DNA Testing/Samples, Police State-Surveillance, Privacy Act/Rights, Police/Govt Misconduct, Suspicionless Searches.
- California Court of Appeal Reverses Superior Court’s Denial of Motion to Vacate Conviction Where Defendant Established His Failure to Understand the Immigration Consequences of Plea, Oct. 15, 2025. Mental Health, Failure to Address/Advise Defendant, Aggravated Felony, Asylum, Knowingly and Voluntarily Made.
- Probabilistic Genotyping on Trial: Can We Trust the Secret Algorithms Deciding Guilt?, Aug. 1, 2025. DNA Testing/Samples, Crime Labs, Blood Samples/Tests, Scientific Testimony or Evidence.
- DHS Removed Sanctuary Cities List After Complaint from Sheriff’s Association, July 15, 2025. Immigration, Enforcement of Immigration Laws, Asylum.

