### Proposed DHS Rule Would Vastly Expand Biometric Collection from Immigrants—Including Children
A new proposal from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has alarmed civil rights and digital privacy advocates, who warn it would dramatically expand the agency’s power to collect and store sensitive biometric data from immigrants and their families—including children of any age. The sweeping rule change, if implemented, would overhaul current practices by removing age restrictions and broadening both the type and scope of biometric information gathered during immigration processes.
**Wider Net for Biometrics**
Under the proposed rule, DHS agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be authorized to collect multiple forms of biometric data from all immigrants interacting with the U.S. immigration system. This includes facial images, fingerprints, palm prints, iris scans, and voice samples. The agency would also be empowered to request DNA samples in certain cases, primarily to verify family relationships. Notably, the rule would, for the first time, allow DHS to collect biometrics from children under the age of 14—a significant policy shift.
DHS justifies the changes as necessary to protect against fraud, trafficking, and security threats, citing advances in technology and a mandate to “secure the border,” as directed by one of President Trump’s executive orders. The agency argues that collecting and retaining this data throughout an individual’s entire “immigration lifecycle” would improve its ability to verify identities, detect criminal histories, and uncover fraudulent familial ties.
**Massive Costs and Uncertain Impact**
The financial implications of the proposal are substantial. DHS estimates that expanded biometrics collection would cost U.S. taxpayers approximately $288.7 million per year, with DNA collection alone accounting for $57.1 million. Immigrants required to submit data could collectively face annual fees of around $231.5 million. However, DHS concedes that the true costs could be higher, particularly if DNA testing becomes more widespread than currently projected. The agency also admits it doesn’t fully grasp the total government expenses involved, including those for assets, storage, labor, and equipment.
Currently, only about 21 percent of immigrants have their biometrics processed, but the proposed expansion could increase annual submissions by over a million, raising the total to approximately 3.19 million each year. DHS plans to store this information until an immigrant either gains citizenship or is removed from the system.
**Privacy Concerns and Risks to Children**
The proposal has drawn intense criticism from privacy experts and advocacy groups, who argue that the scope of data collection poses serious threats to civil liberties, privacy, and security—not just for immigrants, but also for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who sponsor or are related to immigrants.
Jennifer Lynch, general counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), warns that the rule would allow the federal government to “track people without their knowledge as they go about their lives” and to “map families and connections in whole communities over time.” She points out that