The recent expiration of a DNA testing program at the U.S.-Mexico border, which had been used to confirm familial ties among arriving migrants, has raised concerns over potential increases in child trafficking. This program, initiated during President Donald Trump's tenure, was designed to deter adults exploiting loopholes in the immigration system by posing as parents of minors to gain easier entry into the United States.
Tom Homan, a former border czar, highlighted the issue in a Monday press briefing. He criticized the Biden administration for not renewing the program after its contract ended in May 2023. Homan emphasized, “Under the Biden administration, which stopped DNA testing, many children were smuggled into the country with someone that wasn’t related to them claiming to be a parent.”
The DNA testing initiative stemmed from the 1997 Flores settlement and subsequent legal decisions that limited the duration children and families could be detained by the government. This led to adults arriving with children—who were sometimes not related to them—to exploit the system, which often resulted in their prompt release into the U.S. The increase in such instances prompted the implementation of DNA testing as a countermeasure.
Despite the program's apparent success in identifying fraudulent family claims, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) raised ethical and social concerns in 2021. The NIH questioned the power dynamics between immigration officials and migrants and expressed worries about privacy violations, including the unintended disclosure of sensitive information such as misattributed parentage.
Republicans in Congress have defended the testing program, arguing that it served as a critical tool to identify traffickers. The House Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs condemned the Biden administration for discontinuing it, stating that it was a deliberate choice that exacerbated the humanitarian crisis and facilitated child trafficking.
The southern border has seen a significant number of illegal crossings, with 2.76 million incidents reported in fiscal year 2022. The subcommittee pointed to estimates suggesting that criminal cartels forced around 60 percent of unaccompanied minors into criminal activities, including child pornography and drug trafficking.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) criticized the administration's inaction, stating that despite the program's efficacy in identifying smugglers and traffickers, the administration terminated it without any replacement or plans for an updated system.
Conversely, many progressive immigration groups have opposed DNA testing, deeming it invasive and dehumanizing. They argue that the potential risks to migrant privacy and the contentious nature of defining a family solely through DNA should take precedence over trafficking concerns.
Addressing the controversy, Homan insisted on the priority of child safety, stating, “Family residential centers are for families. They’re not jails… We want to make sure that child is with a parent.”
