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Original Date Announced
April 24, 2019Press reports that according to a senior DHS official, US Border Patrol has begun fingerprinting some migrant children 14 and younger because of increased concern about fraud and the trafficking of children. The agency issued guidance to the field in April to allow for the fingerprinting of children, which is being done on a case-by-case basis in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas when trafficking is suspected. [ID #76]
Press report: US Border Patrol begins fingerprinting children under 14 years oldEffective Date
April 24, 2019Current Status
Fully in EffectOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: ReportedTrump Administration Action: Change in PracticeAgencies Affected: CBPAssociated or Derivative Policies
Pre Trump-Era Policies
- August 31, 2004 “Prior to the new guidance, Border Patrol occasionally took photos of children, and collected additional information, but did not fingerprint migrants under 14, said the official. From a technical perspective, the reason Customs and Border Protection previously did not fingerprint children until they turned 14 is ‘because your fingerprint doesn't solidify until that time,’ said a former DHS official, who worked on immigration policy and biometrics.” DHS regulations exempted children under 14 from fingerprinting both at designated ports of entry and at border crossings, according to the AP. United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program (“US-VISIT”); Authority to Collect Biometric Data From Additional Travelers and Expansion to the 50 Most Highly Trafficked Land Border Ports of Entry