Second Circuit Rules Border Agents Can Search Your Phone Without Suspicion

Second Circuit Allows Government to Search Electronic Devices at the Border

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that border agents may search travelers' electronic devices without any suspicion, rejecting arguments that the First and Fourth Amendments require a warrant. The Knight First Amendment Institute and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press had filed an amicus brief in United States v. Alisigwe, warning that such searches expose private thoughts, associations, and journalists' confidential sources.