New pilot DNA testing to help detect fraudulent migrant families

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), implemented a new program in hopes of cracking down on fraudulent migrant families attempting to cross into the Yuma Sector.

Border Patrol agents said this new DNA testing will help detect those trying to enter the country with false documents before they go into border patrols custody.

“We’ve currently identified approximately 12 hundred and 99 fraudulent families for the fiscal year to date for 2019,” said agent Jose Garibay with the Yuma Sector Border Patrol.

Agents in the sector could not give an exact number of how many fraudulent families have been detected since the program started almost a month ago. However, since the decrease of family apprehensions, the number of those coming in with fake documents have declined.

“It’s a direct correlation decrease to family apprehensions for the past couple of weeks we’ve seen less than 100 also seen a decrease in fraudulent families,” said agent Garibay.

Agent Garibay said that agents will soon undergo training on how to use the DNA system in the near future.