The Divorce Law Journal's article "U.S. Set to Begin A Vast Expansion of DNA Sampling" discusses the proposed rules that would require DNA samples from illegal immigrants who are detained. Normally the illegal immigrants would be fingerprinted but these new rules would go further and require the DNA samples. Initially this doesn't sound too bad but consider what the DNA results could reveal - physical diseases, mental disorders, etc. We don't need that information in order to identify the illegal immigrants. It seems that immigration attorneys were taken by surprise when the measure was passed last year. Now they are going to have to deal with the consequences and so are their clients. Last year more than 1.2 million immigrants were detained last year. That is a lot of DNA samples. Questions arise as to how the samples and results are going to be kept in order to protect the privacy of the immigrants, who is going to have access to the results, what is the cost that the American people are going to have to pay to have this done, and the list goes on. Regardless of how you feel about immigrants coming into the country illegally, requiring DNA samples automatically just isn't right.
Source: Divorce Law Journal, 2/5/07
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