WASHINGTON — A newly disclosed trove of about 250 complaints filed by people whose cellphones, laptops, tablets and other personal electronics were searched by border agents without a warrant as they entered the United States is shedding light on a growing debate over individual privacy, collective security and 21st-century technology.
The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the documents from the Department of Homeland Security and provided them to The New York Times. In many cases, the people list grievances in addition to feeling their privacy was violated, like being detained for hours and missing connecting flights.
Here are some additional comments that did not make it into our article. In some cases, the complaints have been lightly edited, such as to standardize spelling or punctuation:
"Once after a lengthy interview, the officers interviewing me confessed that America needed more Muslim leaders and imams like myself. However, they took my cellphone right after and downloaded all my contacts and messages. I really felt very hurt at how I was being treated."
— June 12, 2012. Filed by a man who identified himself as an American citizen who has been regularly stopped for extra scrutiny since returning from a trip to India in 2007.
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"On several occasions my wife and I have been subjected to extensive and invasive questioning by TSA agents, and our personal belongings, including my laptop and smartphone, have been confiscated and searched. We find these tactics to be a deep invasion of our privacy. ... It is very demeaning and degrading to feel as though I am being targeted because I am Muslim and not Caucasian."
— Sept. 15, 2014. Filed by a man who said he has family in Iran.
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"I am a licensed attorney in the state of Minnesota. My cellphone is also my work phone and contained attorney/client privileged information. ... I believe that the reasons for such an intrusive search I was subjected to should have been provided to me as a lawful permanent resident of the United States for 15 years, without criminal records or any significant reason for such treatment."
— Aug. 3, 2015. Filed by a man who described himself as a green-card holder from Nigeria whose phone was confiscated when he was detained for two hours while driving across the border after visiting family in Canada.
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"He confiscated my phone and pointed to photos friends had sent me of jobs they had applied for as evidence that I was seeking work. When I pointed out that neither my name or career background was listed in these emails, I was told to 'stop playing' ... My phone froze while being questioned by another officer so on is command I removed the SIM card on the desk and sat down. Upon receiving my phone 24 hours later my SIM card was missing and I was told by another customs officer that there was nothing they could do as I had signed my items in at the holding cell despite not having been allowed to touch my phone in the interim."
— Aug. 9, 2015. Filed by a woman who appeared to be from Ireland, and was refused entry on apparent suspicion she was planning to work in the United States without a proper visa, which she denied
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"My electronics and bags were taken and searched and I was kept under close watch with only a few questions asked of me regarding previous travel. ... As an innocent American citizen, this event was greatly disturbing and traumatizing."
— Dec. 16, 2015. Filed by a man about his experience upon arriving at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
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"The officer that held me opened my personal electronic devices and searched through every email that I had sent and received. He also searched photos on my devices. These were personal photos of me and my family, some of them were intimate photos with my wife. The officer in question was laughing and smirking the whole time while violating my rights."
— Jan. 15, 2016. Filed by a man who identified himself as a British citizen about his experience upon arriving in Detroit on an international flight.
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"I read the paper and then understanding dawned on me that my phone was taken to be searched ... The officer with the phone returned and asked me questions about pictures of me in my phone exercising with my friends. ... At this stage I am distraught and an emotional wreck. Officers told me to stop crying and be quiet. ... Upon being escorted to my gate my phone was returned, the officer who had searched my phone began to refer to my personal photos and videos . ... He made mention to photos he had seen of me in my phone and comments that I look super fit and that workouts I do are intense. I find this to be highly inappropriate."
— Sept. 10, 2016. Filed by a woman who identified herself as a Greek citizen who was turned away at the border after her visa was cancelled.
Document
Read Complaints About Warrantless Searches of Electronic Devices at the U.S. Border
The Department of Homeland Security, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, has released several hundred complaints filed since 2011 by people whose phones, laptops or other electronic devices were searched without a warrant at the United States border as they entered the country.
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