Enhanced vetting policies let US border officials search phones, laptops, and even social media accounts—raising privacy concerns among international travelers
Washington D.C. | June 7, 2025:
International travelers heading to the United States are being advised to clear sensitive content—such as personal photos, messages, and political commentary—from their devices, following a sharp increase in electronic device searches by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.
Under the enhanced vetting policies reintroduced by President Donald Trump via executive orders, CBP officers are permitted to inspect smartphones, laptops, tablets, and even access social media profiles without a warrant at border crossings and airports.
While these searches affect a small percentage of travelers, several cases have drawn widespread attention. In one instance, a French scientist was denied entry after border officials reportedly found critical messages about the Trump administration on his device.
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Similarly, Amir Makled, a Lebanese-American lawyer representing a University of Michigan protester, was detained and interrogated at Detroit Metro Airport. His phone was reportedly searched by a terrorism response team, which already knew his identity and asked about his contacts. He was later released without charges.
Expert Advice for Travelers
Privacy experts are now urging travelers to:
- Limit personal content stored on devices.
- Use encrypted cloud storage.
- Disable biometric logins to avoid forced access.
- Avoid storing politically sensitive or private data that may raise flags.
CBP officers reportedly have full authority to scan:
- Text messages
- Photos
- Emails
- Call logs
- Browser history
- Social media apps and activity
New Travel Bans Announced
President Trump has also signed a new executive order imposing travel restrictions on 19 countries, effective June 9, 2025.
The travel ban is split into two categories:
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🔴 Full Entry Ban (12 Countries):
Afghanistan, Myanmar, Congo (Republic), Haiti, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Eritrea, and Somalia.
🟠 Partial Entry Restrictions (7 Countries):
Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Trump stated the bans were introduced to protect national security and enforce immigration compliance, accusing these nations of failing to accept deportees or respecting US immigration rules.
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US border policies, CBP electronic searches, Donald Trump travel ban, phone search at US airport, international travel advisory, US immigration news, privacy rights, device search legalities, US travel restrictions 2025