DNA Testing of Immigrants Is Unethical

The collection of genetic biodata for the reunification of families must safeguard individuals agency, provide meaningful informed consent, and protect privacy. DNA testing has been used for nearly two decades to prove family relationships for visa petitions, but the expansion to testing detained immigrants, including separated minors at the US-Mexico border, has created significant bioethical concerns. This article examines the ethical implications of government proposals to collect comprehensive genetic profiles and store them indefinitely in the FBIs CODIS database, drawing on research into consumer genetic literacy to argue that meaningful informed consent is unlikely in a coercive immigration context.