According to the Los Angeles Times, the new policy of the U.S. Department of Justice also applies to those detained on suspicion of committing federal crimes (which include involvement in organized crime, corruption, kidnappings, serial murders, and other serious crimes). The publication reminds that previously, only DNA of those convicted of certain types of crimes was entered into the national database.
The U.S. Department of Justice reported that data from this database will be used to compare with DNA samples taken from crime scenes. In addition, experts believe it will now be easier to identify migrants who often change their names and surnames when moving to the United States.
It is expected that thanks to the new law, the federal DNA database will be expanded by 1.3 million samples.
American human rights activists, in turn, criticize this law. In their opinion, by entering into the database people whose guilt has not been proven, authorities violate their right to privacy. In particular, representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union stated that they will closely monitor the collection of DNA samples and record any violations. In addition, according to Lenta.ru, the organization is discussing the possibility of filing a lawsuit against the authorities.