Even if you've done nothing wrong, it's never a good idea to hand your phone to the cops. But international travelers at American airports often have no choice — even if they're US citizens.
When Minnesota labor organizer Janette Zahia Corcelius returned home from a three-week trip to Europe in late April, she was detained and questioned by customs agents at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. During the interrogation, agents confiscated her phone and have refused to return it. Now, she is suing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to get her device back.
Corcelius's case highlights a growing concern over the authority of border agents to search and seize electronic devices without a warrant. While CBP maintains that such searches are essential for national security, critics argue they violate Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. The outcome of this lawsuit could set a precedent for travelers' digital privacy rights at US ports of entry.