Republican Senators Introduce Legislation Requiring Familial DNA Testing at Southern Border

A group of Republican senators has introduced the End Child Trafficking Now Act, legislation mandating DNA testing at the U.S.-Mexico border to verify familial relationships between undocumented immigrants and accompanying children.

The bill, first introduced by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) in 2019, aims to combat child trafficking allegedly facilitated by drug cartels exploiting border policies.

"As many as 30% of children DNA tested were found not to be related to the immigrants claiming them," said Blackburn on her website. "This legislation would stop criminals in their tracks and help protect children from exploitation – an idea we should all be able to support."

Blackburn also took the opportunity to take a jab a the outgoing Biden administration:

"The Biden administration's decision to halt all DNA familial testing not only put the safety of Americans at risk but also increased the number of migrant children being trafficked. My legislation would stop criminals in their tracks and help protect children from exploitation – an idea we should all be able to support"

Co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) In the same statement, Tillis also said the bill looked to undo harm made by Biden's immigration policies:

"During the Biden Administration, we saw thousands of unaccompanied children cross the Southern border with the help of strangers and members of cartels, putting them at an increased risk of sexual abuse and human trafficking. President Biden's refusal to enforce our immigration laws was completely unacceptable, and this legislation is a commonsense, humane reform that will help prevent innocent children from being abused"

The bill includes measures to deport adults who refuse DNA tests, impose a maximum 10-year prison sentence for falsifying family ties or guardianship, and criminalize "child recycling," a practice where the same child is repeatedly used by different adults to gain entry into the U.S. If family ties cannot be established, children would be processed as unaccompanied minors under current law.

While Republicans support the legislation as a necessary step to combat trafficking and protect vulnerable children, it has drawn criticism for potential implications for family integrity and the broader immigration system. Reached for comment by The Latin Times, immigration lawyer Rosanna Berardi said the bill opens up a complex web of legal issues:

"The courts would likely need to weigh several fundamental rights - from basic privacy protections to the rights of asylum seekers. Many families have valid parent-child relationships that aren't biological, and forcing DNA testing could unfairly separate these families. There are also serious questions about what happens to this sensitive genetic information once it's collected"