Marsha Blackburn says her legislation would bring back familial DNA testing at the border

Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn advocates bringing back familial DNA testing at the southern border for migrants that cross with minors. 

"Familial DNA testing is an imperative," Blackburn said on the Wednesday edition of the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. "Because you do have people that present at the border with a child in tow. They claim to be family, but there is no relationship there. We also know that the cartels in Mexico have a practice that is called child recycling."

The DNA testing was originally implemented under the Trump administration and utilized by Customs Border Protection following a court order related to the separation of migrant children from their families and evidence drug cartels were using children to create fake family units to sneak illegal immigrants across the border. 

Earlier this month, a CBP memo sent to frontline border agents announced the testing will cease when its vendor contract expires this month.

Sen. Blackburn recently introduced a piece of legislation that would require familial DNA testing at the border and those who don't comply will face deportation. 

"My legislation would force the Biden administration to return to the DNA testing, so that you know for sure if a child is related to an adult," she said. "This isn't a lengthy process, it takes about 45 minutes."

"My legislation specifically would require deportation of anybody that refuses the DNA test," Blackburn later said. "If they are found to be trafficking a child, in other words, if the DNA doesn't match up, then it's a 10 year mandatory sentence. It also would criminalize the practice of child recycling."