this post was submitted on 09 Apr 2025
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Privacy
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*regarding paragraph 1+4: this is true for travelers visiting the US (which is what the article is aimed at but, for clarity), but not returning citizens. They can hold the device, but have to fold and let citizens re-enter.
Also, an alternative to not carrying your device is to just wipe it before boarding/reaching your port of entry. Let them pretend to be Hollywood csi detectives and image a freshly-wiped phone. Then restore from a backup later.
Taken directly from CBP's website; regardless of any citizenship, or nationality, they can refuse to let you reenter the country until your device is searched. Period. I don't know where this idea that "I'm an American, they can't refuse to let me back into my own country!" narrative came from, but it is entirely fictitious. There are dozens of reasons for you to be refused reentry.
Straight from the ACLU:
The reason why you have 'heard this idea' is because it's true :P
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-when-encountering-law-enforcement-airports-and-other-ports-entry-us?hl=en-US#do-i-have-to-provide-my-laptop-passwords-or-unlock-my-mobile-phone-for-law-enforcement-officers-at-the-border
Again, they're not denying you entry permanently, but they absolutely can slow fuck you for weeks until your device is unlocked and checked. You people live in some little utopia that doesn't exist.
We just deported a US citizen to Argentina without due process and its taking a federal court order for the US government to do anything about it. You really think they care about your "right" to reenter the country?
I said nothing about potentially holding your device - reread the comment you replied to - but they cannot use that as the reason to deny citizens reentry. We can have a discussion about if the administration is following the rules of law, but by law, border agents cannot deny you for this reason.
So hostile, for no reason. Channel that anger into something constructive, yeah?
Also lol if you think anyone here thinks we are in anything close to a utopia, you should switch careers to comedy :p