Overview
- DHS seeks authority to require biometrics from anyone filing or associated with an immigration request, regardless of age, unless specifically exempted.
- Collection could occur during routine processing as well as when noncitizens are arrested or encountered by immigration officers.
- The draft broadens modalities to facial and ocular imagery, fingerprints and palm prints, voice patterns, handwritten signatures, behavioral characteristics, and DNA.
- The rule would codify collection, testing, storage, sharing, and use of genetic data for identity verification and law-enforcement purposes, building on limited DNA collection since 2019–2020 under CODIS.
- A 60-day comment period runs through January 2, 2026, with legal experts warning of significant privacy concerns and likely court challenges before any final rule takes effect.