Department of Homeland Security scraps Trump-era plans to collect more biometric data from immigrants

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has scrapped plans formed under President Trump to expand the collection of biometric data — including voice prints and DNA — from anyone applying to enter the United States and their sponsors, including children.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) called Friday's decision "consistent" with an executive order issued by President Biden in February, which outlined a plan to reduce "barriers and undue burdens" in the U.S. immigration system. First proposed in September 2020, the regulation would have dropped the age limit for biometric data collection, allowing the government to obtain personal information from minors under the age of 14.