emails, texts, or apps—anything on devices is fair game. “You can state you don’t consent to a search, but this likely won’t prevent Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from searching your phone,” Bhandari explains.
To protect your privacy, the Bhandari says visitors may want to consider using a travel-only smartphone or laptop that doesn’t contain private or sensitive information. Or, travelers can choose to encrypt their devices with a strong and unique password and turn them off before crossing the border. If an agent asks for your password, you are not legally required to provide it, although that may result in your device being held for weeks or months. For people who are not citizens or green card holders, declining to provide a password could also result in US border patrol officials denying you entry to the country.
