U.S. Border Device Searches Continue to Escalate, Raising Privacy and Legal Concerns

Travelers face increased detentions and deportations as the Trump administration intensifies warrantless electronic device searches at U.S. ports of entry.

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) conducted nearly 47,000 electronic device searches in fiscal year 2024, with 36,500 involving non-U.S. citizens.
• Travelers from allied nations, including France, Germany, and Canada, report rising detentions and deportations tied to electronic device searches in recent weeks.
• Legal experts highlight inconsistent court rulings on warrantless device searches, with a federal judge previously ruling such searches unconstitutional at JFK Airport.
• Privacy advocates recommend travelers take precautions, such as using burner phones, deleting sensitive data, or uploading information to the cloud before travel.
• Governments like the UK have issued travel advisories warning citizens of potential detentions or deportations when entering the U.S.

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