Court Rules Border Search Lawsuit Against DHS Can Proceed

A lawsuit challenging searches of electronic devices at the U.S. border can proceed, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts said Thursday. Electronic Frontier Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Massachusetts sued the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of 11 travelers. The individuals’ smartphones and laptops were searched without warrants, the groups said. “EFF and ACLU can move ahead to prove that our plaintiffs’ Fourth and First Amendment rights were violated when their devices were seized and searched without a warrant,” EFF Staff Attorney Sophia Cope said.