Sen. Ron Wyden (D‑OR) is concerned about Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) searches of travelers’ electronic devices at the border and ports of entry. CBP’s responses to Wyden’s queries about such searches are illuminating but far from reassuring.
In February, Sen. Wyden sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly, asking a range of questions about searches of electronic devices. DHS responded to this letter, but the agency’s response didn’t satisfy Sen. Wyden, who posed some followup questions to CBP acting commissioner, Kevin McAleenan.
McAleenan’s answers to Sen. Wyden’s questions are revealing, in part because of what they don’t discuss.
The answers begin by noting that the Supreme Court recognizes the CBP’s “broad scope” of authority to conduct border searches.
Read the rest of this post →