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Today, U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, pressed the Trump Administration for answers following the detaining of a Canadian national and subjecting him to an unnecessary DNA collection under threat of criminal charges carrying one year in prison. The Canadian national, 68-year-old retired nuclear health physicist Kevin Larson, was seeking legal entry into Michigan to attend a peaceful No Kings protest. In a letter to the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Justice (DOJ), Representatives Dingell and Raskin are demanding answers as to why Mr. Lawson was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers after expressing his desire to attend a peaceful protest in Michigan. After complying with the DNA collection out of fear for his safety, he was let go, not charged, and not suspected of any illegal activity. “We are also deeply troubled that Mr. Larson may have been denied entry based solely on intended expressive activity that is constitutionally protected- for both citizens and visitors- and then subjected to invasive biometric collection without clear legal justification. We request clarity to better understand the grounds CBP officers had to detain Mr. Larson and compel a DNA sample under threat of prosecution. CBP’s own guidance states that DNA is not collected from individuals held at a port of entry during admissibility determinations who are not subject to further detention or proceedings,” the lawmakers wrote.

“This episode thus strongly indicates that official policy is not being followed and that discretion is being exercised at ports of entry in vindictive, cruel, and counterproductive ways. Furthermore, we are concerned about the handling of this sensitive biometric data, including how it is being transmitted to, stored by, and used within FBI systems, including the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), particularly in a case where no criminal predicate appears to exist,” they continued.

A copy of the letter can be found HERE and text is below:

Dear Secretary Mullin, Secretary Rubio, and Attorney General Bondi:

This letter is in response to an extraordinary incident on October 18, 2025, in which a Canadian retiree, Kevin Larson, with no known criminal record and no suspected illegal activity, was required to provide a DNA sample under threat of possible jail time while simply attempting to lawfully cross the Blue Water Bridge into Port Huron, Michigan.

On that date, Mr. Larson, a 68-year-old retired nuclear health physicist from Ontario attempted to enter the United States lawfully to attend a peaceful No Kings protest. Instead, he was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, apparently denied entry based on the nature of his planned activity, and subjected to fingerprinting, a phone search, and a DNA collection. He was explicitly informed that failure to provide a DNA sample could result in criminal charges carrying up to a year in prison. After complying under this threat, he was returned to Canada. Mr. Larson was not charged with any crime and was not suspected of illegal activity.

You may not have heard, but Canada is our major trading partner, our friend, our neighbor, and one of our strongest allies in defending democratic freedom around the world against fascism and authoritarianism. Canadians and Americans regularly cross the border in both directions to shop, work, and visit family. Episodes like this risk undermining that longstanding relationship and are already contributing to a chilling effect on cross-border travel and engagement. This kind of hostile and arbitrary treatment at the border could further damage one of our most important bilateral relationships already battered by President Trump’s vilification of the Canadian people and threats to annex their country. 

The informal Canadian boycott of American commerce, travel, tourism, and goods is already killing a lot of American businesses from Michigan and New York to Nevada and Florida, and this kind of authoritarian treatment of Canadian citizens at the border will only make matters a lot worse. 

We are also deeply troubled that Mr. Larson may have been denied entry based solely on intended expressive activity that is constitutionally protected- for both citizens and visitors- and then subjected to invasive biometric collection without clear legal justification. We request clarity to better understand the grounds CBP officers had to detain Mr. Larson and compel a DNA sample under threat of prosecution. CBP’s own guidance states that DNA is not collected from individuals held at a port of entry during admissibility determinations who are not subject to further detention or proceedings. This episode thus strongly indicates that official policy is not being followed and that discretion is being exercised at ports of entry in vindictive, cruel, and counterproductive ways. Furthermore, we are concerned about the handling of this sensitive biometric data, including how it is being transmitted to, stored by, and used within FBI systems, including the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), particularly in a case where no criminal predicate appears to exist.

In light of these extraordinary actions by CBP, we request a response to the following questions by April 10, 2026:

•Why was Mr. Larson denied entry to the United States on October 18, 2025? 

•What was the legal authority for requiring Mr. Larson to submit to a DNA test under threat of criminal prosecution? 

•How did Mr. Larson’s case meet CBP’s criteria for DNA collection, what is the current governing policy, and how is it being implemented at ports of entry?

•How many individuals have had DNA collected by CBP at ports of entry despite not being charged with or suspected of a crime?

•How has Mr. Larson’s DNA been used, and what are the policies governing its storage, access, and retention by the FBI?

•Has Mr. Larson’s DNA been entered into CODIS, and if so, under what authority?

•If the collection was not consistent with CBP policy or legal requirements, what process exists to remove Mr. Larson’s DNA from federal databases?

Thank you for your immediate attention to this important matter, which could trigger major international repercussions, especially before the next No-Kings Day on March 28, and we look forward to your prompt response.