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FBI has a 15 month backlog on DNA testing for immigrants, newly-disclosed emails show
The FBI’s system for processing DNA submitted by federal border authorities to vet migrant families is overwhelmed, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) email chain reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
justthenews.com
The FBI’s system for processing DNA submitted by federal border authorities to vet migrant families is overwhelmed, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) email chain reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) uses tests from the FBI, which then analyzes and stores them for federal border authorities, to test migrants 14 years old and older, according to the emails. FBI Director Christopher Wray previously raised concerns about the FBI’s ability to handle the “dramatic increase” in DNA samples given the migration surges in April, according to Voice of America.
“They [FBI] don’t have enough money to run the program which is a statutory requirement. They are still delivering kits and used to turn them around in 2 months, now they are looking at a 15 month backlog,” one CBP official said in the internal chain regarding its response to a Washington Post reporter working on a story regarding the DNA testing.
Federal authorities have recorded record flows of migrants crossing the southern border illegally in recent years, with roughly 2.2 million encounters in fiscal year 2022 and more than 2 million in fiscal year 2023, according to federal data.
The FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is used by federal, state and local labs to connect offenders to crimes, according to the bureau.
In a proposed response to the reporter’s question, the officials admitted that migrants who aren’t wanted for crimes are always released from agency custody before the DNA testing is completed.
