Traveling to the US? How to protect your data at the border

Since March 2025, reports have emerged regarding immigration officers turning travelers away at US borders, including permanent residents and visa holders, due to information found on electronic devices such as phones and laptops. While no official information has been issued, legal rights advocates have noted that critiques of the Trump administration and, especially, critiques of Israel, have been the primary factors driving border denials.

While rejecting an officer's request to access your devices will likely result in automatic refusal of entry, the issue is fundamentally a significant invasion of privacy. There are strategies you can use to protect your data and privacy in case you plan to travel to the US.

Travelers turned away

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

Device review

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

Temporary visa holders and permanent residents

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.