According to TheRegister.com, the Department of Homeland Security just proposed a sweeping rule that would massively expand biometric data collection from both immigrants and US citizens involved in immigration cases. The rule, published on November 3, 2024, would require practically everyone associated with an immigration application – including US citizens filing family-based petitions – to submit biometric data regardless of age. DHS wants authority to collect new types of biometrics including DNA test results, voice prints, and ocular imagery, not just traditional fingerprints and photos. The agency plans to use this data for identity verification, national security checks, and proving family relationships. Public comments are being accepted until January 2, 2025, and so far the response has been overwhelmingly negative with critics calling it government overreach.
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What this actually means
Here’s the thing – this isn’t just about making immigrants go through extra security checks. If you’re a US citizen helping a family member with their immigration paperwork, DHS could demand your DNA, voice recording, and eye scans. They’re literally proposing to collect “raw DNA or DNA test results” to verify biological relationships and even to “prove or disprove biological sex” when that affects eligibility.
And the definition of biometrics is being expanded to include basically any “measurable biological or behavioral characteristic.” That’s intentionally broad language that gives them authority to collect whatever new tech comes along. Voice prints? Ocular imagery? DNA? It’s all on the table now.
Why this is concerning
Look, we’ve seen how this goes. Facial recognition technology already struggles with accuracy, particularly for people of color. Now imagine that same level of potential error applied to voice recognition and DNA analysis. And let’s be real – once this data is collected, what happens to it? The rule mentions using it for “identity management” and “secure documents,” but history shows government databases have a way of expanding beyond their original purpose.
Basically, we’re talking about creating a massive biometric database that includes US citizens who’ve done nothing wrong except help family members navigate our broken immigration system. The public comments so far are filled with people comparing this to surveillance states and calling it unconstitutional. Can you blame them?
Where this is headed
This feels like part of a broader trend toward normalizing biometric surveillance across government agencies. DHS already proposed expanding biometric collection at entry and exit points, and now they’re going after the entire immigration process. The scary part is how they’re framing DNA collection as just another administrative tool.
So what’s next? Will this data be shared with other agencies? Used for purposes beyond immigration verification? The full rule proposal doesn’t provide many answers, and DHS isn’t exactly being transparent – they didn’t even respond to specific questions about why US citizens need to be included.
Organizations like the National Immigration Law Center have been tracking these expansions for years, and this represents a significant escalation. We’re crossing into territory where the government wants biological proof of who we are and who we’re related to. That should make everyone pause, regardless of where they stand on immigration policy.
