Federal Court Rules CBP, ICE Border Searches of Electronic Devices Unconstitutional

U.S. government searches of international travelers’ phones and laptops without warrant or probable cause violate the Fourth Amendment, U.S. District Court in Boston ruled Tuesday. Alasaad v. McAleenan involved controversial airport searches by Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation and ACLU of Massachusetts filed the lawsuit. “This is a great day for travelers who now can cross the international border without fear that the government will, in the absence of any suspicion, ransack the extraordinarily sensitive information we all carry in our electronic devices," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Sophia Cope. The Department of Homeland Security didn't comment.