let's bring in national Border Patrol
council president Brandon Judd
welcome sir and Brandon you say this is
necessary why if you look at when
somebody violates a law in the United
States we have to take their
fingerprints we have to find out who
they are we have to put them in
databases this is just one step that
allows us to verify that these
individuals are in fact who they say
they are it also allows us to verify
whether or not they've committed crimes
here in the United States it's a
common-sense policy they've just
violated one of our laws now we're going
to find out exactly who they are hey
Brandon it's heather zoo moraga so I
understand that you're supportive of the
policy but what do you say to the civil
rights activists for example that's a
crossing the border the first time is by
federal law it's it's deemed a
misdemeanor so they're saying you're
collecting DNA samples off people who
haven't committed crimes even though
that of course is a misdemeanor but they
didn't commit crimes in the u.s. after
coming here what do you say to that well
that's the first thing that I would say
is they did in fact commit a crime
although it's a misdemeanor it is still
a crime they cross the border illegally
they made a conscious decision to
violate our laws now that they violated
our laws we're going to do what we need
to do to verify who in fact they are and
we're gonna put them in the database in
the event that they commit a crime here
in the United States later on down the
road at Brandon Adam Linsky with Fortune
magazine just just just to be clear you
taking the DNA sample before or after
their conviction for breaking the law
now you take it before it's just like
taking a fingerprint we take a finger so
here anybody vilely you just said a
moment ago that they they you just said
a moment ago they had violated the law
but you do you are aware of the
presumption of innocence in the United
States right no so so let's be clear if
I see somebody that crosses the border
illegally and I take them into custody
which is what happens don't know you
don't know is illegal because you
haven't you haven't given them a court
you haven't given them dude all right so
they are accused of a crime to be clear
okay so so okay just to be clear when
you are accused of a crime fingerprints
will
be taken there's no difference what's
the dinner with collecting DNA for
example from you if you're accused of a
crime it's okay for your DNA to be
collected as well yes absolutely if I'm
taken into custody and I'm arrested and
I'm gonna be booked absolutely it is and
is that common police procedure
throughout the United States to take DNA
samples from if people who are accused
of a crime
DNA is it is a new issue that's popping
up all over the United States yeah just
to be clear that noise just so I
understand well you're you're breaking
new new new procedural ground here yeah
it's so okay but it's not it's not a
violation of the law to create new
procedural grounds you're saying that we
shouldn't create new procedural grounds
yet there's no law that backs that up so
yes I am saying that it is perfectly
fine to create new procedural grounds
sir when you talk about the immigrants
who are who are crossing the border
obviously this is a very touchy
political issue but for the civil rights
side of it there are also libertarians
and Republicans who really get very
concerned when there are violations of
privacy and taking people's DNA what
would you say to that again what I the
first thing that I would say is that
taking DNA is a way for law enforcement
to one exonerate people also for two to
find out who people are we've seen a lot
of individuals that have been exonerated
due to DNA so it swings both ways and we
have to we have to be able to verify who
individuals are fingerprints I have
personally taken fingerprints of
individuals where they have scraped them
clean now those fingerprints will grow
back but in the immediacy I can't verify
who those individuals are until the
fingers prints grow back you can't you
can't do that with DNA I don't see why
this is an issue well watch the Forensic
Files because they either exonerate or
they convict people a lot on this good
to see you sir thank you so much for
joining us