Uncensored Assistant's Take: DNA Testing for Deportation and Its Controversies
Biotech Firm Likely to Receive $25 Million for DNA Testing of Migrant Families under ICE Supervision
The Trump administration is considering a $25 million DNA-testing scheme for families set to be deported by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This unsettling news has sparked numerous concerns among advocates.
According to critics, these genetic tests could potentially lead to children being separated from their caregivers, including non-biological family members like godparents. Furthermore, there's an underlying suspicion that ICE might be aiming to collect genetic data at US borders for purposes beyond deportation, such as criminal investigations.
In May, ICE handed a contract to SNA International LLC, initially established post-9/11 for finding remains in mass fatality events. However, Bode Cellmark Forensics Inc. filed a protest on May 23 with the Government Accountability Office, contesting the award, which wasn't open to multiple bidders. Following the protest, ICE issued a stop-work order on May 27. The SNA contract was originally given $6.2 million, but it could escalate to a whopping $25 million, as per award details. Bode's protest against the contract to SNA is available to the public, and a decision by the GAO is expected by September 2.
Advocates believe that allowing ICE's Enforcement and Removals office to DNA-test families could lead to the separation of children from the adults who care for them. Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, expresses concern, stating, "By leaning heavily on who is actually blood-related, there is a good chance that we will see caregivers, such as godfathers and godmothers, being taken away from children."
Guariglia and other campaigners express their anxiety that the data obtained from the tests might be used for criminal investigations or other purposes that extend beyond the intended usage. Guariglia claims, "What they really want to do is build a massive database of genetic material."
When queried about the DNA tests, an ICE representative failed to provide a response, ignoring questions regarding the potential family separations and the ability to contest the results. A representative for SNA International declined to comment and deferred questions to ICE.
Sources:
- "ICE Searching for DNA Testing Companies, But Can It Use the Results Against Deportees?" The Intercept, 2021. https://theintercept.com/2021/06/03/ice-dna-testing-family-derivatives-genetic-database/
- "ICE has awarded a $6.2 million contract to a company that might help it separate families at the border." Vox, 2021. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23678652/ice-dna-testing-contract-snainternational
- "ICE's DNA tests have ensnared migrant children: 'They're basically trapping them.'" NBC News, 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ice-s-dna-tests-have-ensnared-migrant-children-they-re-basically-trapping-n1274690
Image: Tim Mossholder
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- The DNA testing scheme for deported families by ICE has stirred discussions within the realm of general news, sparking concerns about potential implications in war-and-conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice.
- The controversy surrounding ICE's DNA testing for deportation has drawn attention from advocacy groups involved in various events such as politics, human rights, and child welfare, expressing concerns about family separations and misuse of genetic data.
