SCOOP: DHS Unleashes Historic Surveillance Dragnet on Migrants and Citizens
Federal agents want your DNA, fingerprints, and face—no matter your age or citizenship. Sweeping new rules put entire immigrant families under perpetual government watch.
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security has unveiled a sweeping proposed rule that is set to fundamentally alter how immigration authorities collect and use biometric data across the United States, profoundly impacting both migrants and citizens involved in the immigration process.
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Filed for public inspection on October 31, the DHS proposal lays out changes that would require the submission of biometrics—including fingerprints, facial images, iris scans, voiceprints, and even DNA—by anyone filing or associated with an immigration benefit request, without regard to age.
The rule also expands biometric collection authority following an alien’s arrest, codifies new reuse requirements, and authorizes broader DNA testing, use, and storage to verify family relationships and prevent fraud.
Under the new standards, even U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents petitioning for family members would be required to submit biometrics, adding criminal history checks as part of compliance with child protection and marriage broker laws.
The administration argues that enhanced biometrics will strengthen identity management, national security vetting, and fraud prevention. Notably, age restrictions for biometric collection are being removed—meaning children, including infants encountered at the border, may be fingerprinted and scanned to prevent trafficking and accurately establish family claims.
The regulation also authorizes the use of DNA samples and partial DNA profiles to confirm biological relationships and eligibility for certain immigration benefits, with data retained for use in law enforcement databases.
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The proposal paves the way for “continuous vetting,” where migrants, even long-term residents, can be rechecked and required to submit biometrics throughout their stay in the United States until citizenship is obtained.
In practice, this means that immigration benefit holders, sponsors, and family members face recurring screening and surveillance that could last years, with the government empowered to share biometric data with federal, state, local, and some foreign government agencies under expanded authority.
Immigrants and their advocates are likely to raise alarm over privacy risks, the scale of government tracking, and the lack of clear limits on how new technologies—such as facial recognition and automated voice analysis—are deployed and stored.
For U.S. citizens, the rule brings new scrutiny to family sponsorships, with background checks now standard for Americans seeking to reunite with relatives. For survivors of domestic violence, VAWA self-petitioners will see streamlined requirements with biometrics now used in place of police clearances and affidavits for good moral character.
The rule is designed to limit identity theft, improve system reliability, and give Homeland Security new tools to flag threats or criminal activity missed under the current name-based checks. DHS estimates that as many as two million people a year already submit biometrics but, under the new rule, that figure will grow as new groups are added—including U.S. citizen petitioners, children, and more forms previously exempt.
As written, the rule signals a historic expansion of biometric surveillance in American immigration law, with far-reaching consequences for privacy and government oversight. Public comments are being accepted following publication, with the full text available for review via the Federal Register’s public portal and direct PDF link to the proposed rule. ]
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Big brother unfettered by any form of privacy.
This is a grotesque abuse of power. Sounds like their database will more specifically target minorities.
Wouldn’t be surprised if they use this to purposely stop, arrest, and detain Latino U.S. citizens, accuse them of crimes, just to be able to get their DNA into the system.