Four protesters are taking legal action against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alleging that their DNA samples were unlawfully collected during protests against ICE activity in Chicago.

The lawsuit, filed in an Illinois district court, demands an injunction to prevent further alleged violations of constitutional rights. The protesters, arrested at the Broadview ICE facility as part of 'Operation Midway Blitz,' claim that authorities wrongfully took their DNA samples and uploaded them into government databases without justification.

Out of 92 non-immigration arrests at this facility, only one protester was convicted, with no evidence linking the conviction to protests. Two others faced minor charges that were dropped, while a fourth was charged with nothing at all. They argue that federal officials have overstepped their authority and hope the court will agree.

In context, the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling allowed for DNA collection only under certain conditions—when an individual has been arrested for a serious offense with probable cause confirmed by a judicial officer. The collected DNA can only be used for identification purposes, not to obtain information about relatives or health.