What are your rights if Border Patrol wants to search your phone?

You’ve heard a lot over the past few weeks about federal agents and how they’re policing the public in Minneapolis. 

But let’s talk about how people in Washington are currently most likely to interact with Customs and Border Protection: At the border.

At those crossings, there is the potential, for your phone, or other devices, to be searched. 

Last fiscal year, Customs and Border Protection reported a 16 percent increase in searches of digital devices compared with 2024.

Maybe you’re planning to head to Canada for a weekend trip, or maybe to the warm weather of Mexico during our dark and dreary winter,

Should you expect your phone to be searched at the border? And what steps can you take to protect your data?

GUEST: Gabe Castro-Root, New York Times

RELATED LINKS: 

• Phone Searches at the Border Are Up: How to Protect Your Privacy
• Traveling to the U.S. Under Trump: Visas, Border Control and What to Know
• Border Search of Electronic Devices at Ports of Entry

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