A Daily Caller News Foundation reporter highlighted a 15-month backlog in the FBI’s DNA testing of migrants during a Friday Newsmax appearance.
DCNF Investigative Reporter Jennie Taer reviewed emails obtained from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where officials discussed the massive backlog while trying to respond to a Washington Post reporter. FBI Director Christopher Wray had previously raised concerns about whether the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) could handle the migrant surge, Voice of America reported.
“I definitely didn’t expect to receive this email,” Taer told Newsmax host Carl Higbee.
WATCH:
“It was actually something that a Washington Post reporter had inquired about, this DNA testing program, which basically runs these illegal migrants DNA through a system that determines whether or not they’re connected to crimes that occurred in the U.S.,” Taer continued. “A lot of state, local and federal agencies contribute to this so it’s a huge, you know, program to be able to track criminals.”
Nearly 380,000 illegal immigrants have been encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border during fiscal year 2024, which started Oct. 1, according to data released by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), following 2,045,838 encounters in fiscal year 2023, 2,206,436 in fiscal year 2022 and 1,659,206 in fiscal year 2021.
“In these email chains, they were discussing, DHS officials were discussing how to respond to this Washington Post reporter and one of the things they mentioned – like you had mentioned – is that the program is running out of money and you know, that it takes 15 months, and they have to release people before that 15 months,” Taer said. “They have to release people within 72 hours.”
EXCLUSIVE: It appears I may have been accidentally put in an internal DHS email chain, where officials discussed how to respond to WaPo about DNA testing migrants
The emails say the FBI has a 15 month backlog on DNA testing & is running out of $ for ithttps://t.co/dzFm9FY90t pic.twitter.com/5HDzwIu8MC
— Jennie Taer
(@JennieSTaer) December 29, 2023
A May Government Accountability Office investigation found that CBP did not have sufficient DNA testing kits. Ten IEDs were also discovered near the U.S.-Mexico border after a Border Patrol agent arrested a man with an AK-47 near Tucson, Fox Business Network reported.
“We know the border is open season for criminals,” Taer said.
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