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Travelers turned away -

Travelers, including permanent US residents, are being turned away at US national borders as part of an aggressive new border strategy.

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Device review -

Immigration officers are asking travelers to turn in their electronic devices for review before being granted entry into the country.

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Temporary visa holders and permanent residents -

This policy has not only been limited to those on tourists visas, but also green card holders, who are permanent residents in the US.

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Avoid international travel -

Universities, such as Yale University, have warned visa-holding students to avoid international travel given the hostile border policies in place, at risk of facing potential deportation.

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Travel advisories issued -

International travel advisories have been issued by nations such as Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom; where significant numbers of tourists to the US originate from. Pictured is Germany's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock.

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Executive orders -

These warnings flag border practices and some of the Trump administration’s executive orders, such as the gender identification order, which may impact their citizens’ ability to pass through border control in the US.

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Previous advisories due to gun violence -

Over the last several years, nations such as Uruguay and Japan issued advisories on travel to the US due to the prevalence of gun violence and hate crimes.

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New travel warnings -

The recent uptick in border denials has encouraged other countries to issue new travel warnings. Nations such as France, Germany, Denmark, and Finland, among others, have all issued travel advice to their citizens regarding travel to the US. Pictured is Denmark's Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

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Permanent residents and ESTA holders -

While no visa guarantees entry to a country anywhere in the world, new border policies have been surprising to tourists seeking to enter the US. This has especially been the case for permanent residents and those holding Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visas, which are part of the US Visa Waiver Program.

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CBP searching devices -

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can ask to search (and even confiscate) your electronic devices upon your impending entrance to the United States.

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Potential consequences for opting out -

Depending on your particular circumstances, you might try to opt out of a search, but there are potential consequences, such as confiscation or immediate denial of entrance.

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Official data -

While the CBP’s official data says it searched a small fraction of traveler’s devices in 2024 (approximately 47,000 devices of the 420 million people that traveled to the US), since the Trump administration took power, the practice has inflated significantly according to traveler testimonies.

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French scientist denied entry -

For example, in March 2025, a French scientist provided their electronic device to border agents at a Texas airport upon their request.

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Text messages critical of Trump -

CBP found text messages that were allegedly “critical of Trump.” Therefore, French officials report that the scientist was denied entrance due to this discovery.

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US citizens -

US citizens are not absolved of device searches, either. The CBP may align with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or local police departments to open domestic investigations.

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Making device searches more challenging -

What can you do to make a device search more challenging for CBP officers and better protect your data? Experts say, the best strategy is to plan ahead.

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Assume you'll be pulled aside -

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recommends that travelers should, before traveling, assume they will be pulled aside for a secondary screening where they may be asked to hand over their devices.

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Decide what you'll do beforehand -

Before traveling, you should decide if you will comply or if you will reject the request by border agents. It’s important to note that even if you do not provide consent, your device may still be confiscated.

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Unlock the device yourself -

If you do consent to the search, the EFF recommends that you unlock the device yourself, inserting your own password and not share your device password with agents.

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Tools to unlock your device -

Although, it is worthy to note that even if you don’t forfeit your password, there are many tools that agents have that can be used to unlock your device.

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Strong password -

Make sure your password is strong. A great way to do this is to have a long mix of numbers, letters, and symbols consisting of a total of between nine and 12 characters. There are many websites you can visit that will generate a strong password for you.

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Turn off biometric unlocks -

The EFF also recommends you turn off biometric unlocks (for example Face ID and the fingerprint tool) on your devices. Both of these unlocking options make it easier for officers to gain access to your devices.

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Property receipt -

If CBP officers confiscate your device, ask for a property receipt as a form of documentation to prove that your device is in their hands.

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Manual or forensic tools -

The device search may be either manual, meaning, it can be conducted by CBP agents by going through your phone themselves, or using forensic tools.

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Wiping your phone -

Don’t wipe your phone clean of all data as a preventative measure. Although the arbitrary nature of not knowing what kind of information could get you denied makes a full wipe tempting, that kind of move could make you look more suspicious.

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Burner phones or traveling with no phone -

The same goes for using a burner phone or traveling without a phone. The EFF suggests that you selectively delete data or texts on your phone that you don’t want to be accessed.

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Securely delete your data -

Make sure you’re deleting your data securely. This means that you’ll have to clear all deleted files from your trash, too.

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Deleting apps -

Another suggestion is just deleting some apps altogether that you won’t want to be searched, such as WhatsApp or social media apps, for example. But be warned, there could be metadata that indicates that an app was previously installed on a device.

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Encrypt data -

The most important step you can take is to encrypt your device’s data. Most newer versions of iPhones and Android phones conduct encryption automatically (go to your settings and make sure this option is turned on).

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Strong password and biometric unlocks off -

The encryption is only valuable if you also have a strong password that protects your device from ease of accessibility and your biometric unlocks are turned off, as previously noted.

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Laptops -

Laptops are a different ballgame in terms of encryption. You’ll have to use a specific tool (FileVault for MacOS or Bitlocker for Windows, for example) to encrypt your device.

Sources: (The Guardian) (Condé Nast Traveller)

See also: How EU surveillance policies have extended to Africa

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