Americans have a constitutional right to speak, protest, and hold their government accountable.

But new reports suggest that people who exercised that right are having something far more personal taken from them. Their DNA.

Multiple individuals across different states say that after being arrested while protesting or observing immigration enforcement, federal officers collected DNA samples from them. In some cases, these individuals say they were not even aware of what was happening until it was done.

Federal law allows DNA collection after arrest. But that authority was never meant to be used in ways that could discourage lawful protest or blur the line between public safety and surveillance.

DNA is not just another identifier. It contains deeply personal information about an individual and their family. Once collected, it can be stored, shared, and potentially used in ways that are not fully transparent to the public.

This raises serious concerns.

If people believe that participating in a protest could result in their genetic information being added to a government database, many will think twice before speaking out. That is not how a free society is supposed to function.

We are calling on the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and Congress to take immediate action.

Clear limits must be established to prevent DNA collection from individuals engaged in protected First Amendment activity. Strong transparency requirements must ensure the public knows how this data is used and stored. And safeguards must guarantee that DNA collected without proper legal basis can be removed from federal databases.

This is not about limiting law enforcement. It is about protecting fundamental rights.

No American should have to choose between exercising free speech and protecting their most personal data.

Our rights should not come at that cost.