A recent string of legal U.S. residents being detained or deported following information found on their cellphones is worrying some travelers that they’ll be stopped when traveling through the country’s border.
Under orders by the Trump administration to increase national security — including a full review of visa programs by the U.S. State Department and a potential travel ban on more than 40 countries — more travelers are facing scrutiny by immigration and border control officers, including a search through your electronic devices by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
But if border control asks for your phone, do you have to give it to them?
Here’s what travelers should know.
Can border control search your devices?
Although seemingly rare in recent years, border control agents have the authority to search electronic devices, including cellphones, laptops, and iPads. Now, under the new administration, which has prioritized policies surrounding immigration and border control, this practice is becoming more frequent.
For example, Lebanese physician and Brown University assistant professor Rasha Alawieh was flagged at Boston Logan International Airport by CPB after returning from a family visit. Officers discovered photos and videos on her cellphone related to Hezbollah. As a result, her visa was canceled, and she was deported back to Lebanon.
According to the CBP website, these searches are intended to “enforce the law at the U.S. border and protect border security.”
From a national security perspective, they’re also seeing if there is any criminal data or activity on your devices, CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Critics argue that this infringes on free speech, particularly as social media posts on political issues are now triggering searches and leading to deportations. A notable example occurred with an Indian Columbia University Ph.D. student, whose visa was revoked after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided her apartment. The raid was prompted by her pro-Palestinian posts on social media and participation in campus protests, leading her to self-deport to Canada.
