In a letter addressed to the acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Troy Miller, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, Grassley refers to whistleblower data his office has obtained. This data pertains to the DNA collection practices of the CBP for immigrants arriving at both the northern and southern borders of the United States.
The Senator's letter reveals, "Those disclosures show that in the first three quarters of FY23, FBI received an alarmingly low percentage of DNA samples." The data Grassley cites indicates that in the first quarter of FY23, out of 865,333 migrant encounters, only 347,231 DNA samples, approximately 40%, were received by the FBI. The second quarter saw a further drop to 31.21%, and the third quarter saw a slight increase to 37%. Grassley notes that he had previously requested data for FY23 but had not received it.
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Grassley expresses his deep concern over these figures, stating, "Given the record number of illegal crossings, CBP encounters, and ICE detainees with prior criminal records, CBP and DHS’s continued failure to collect DNA on illegal immigrants is deeply concerning." He goes on to argue that this failure undermines the justice system and enables criminals to cross the border illegally, thereby posing a threat to American lives.
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Grassley has previously pointed out that the Justice Department removed exemptions from the 2005 DNA Fingerprint Act in 2020, thereby expanding the number of individuals who could be fingerprinted. However, exemptions still exist for those under 14 years of age and those who already have a DNA profile, as per a recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
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The government has also been grappling with a shortage of test kits, and Republicans have recently drawn attention to a reported 15-month backlog on DNA testing. Grassley's letter references several reports that link illegal immigrants to crimes through DNA matches, including unsolved cases, despite what he terms as "insufficient" DNA efforts by federal authorities.
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In his letter, Grassley requests a variety of information, including whether Jose Antonio Ibarra, who was recently charged with the murder of Georgia student Laken Riley and confirmed to be an illegal immigrant released into the U.S. last year, was ever subject to a DNA sample. He also asks for data for the fourth quarter and for FY24 to date, as well as additional plans to implement the DNA Fingerprint Act. Fox News has reached out to CBP and DHS for comment.
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This development comes as illegal immigration is predicted to be a major issue in the 2024 elections. Both President Biden and former President Donald Trump visited the southern border in Texas last week, reflecting the issue's importance to voters. CBP sources have informed Fox News that there have been over 21,000 migrant encounters in the past 72 hours, with the Tucson Sector being the busiest with more than 5,400 encounters. These figures suggest a significant surge as Spring approaches.
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