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Original Date Announced
October 4, 2025CBC News reports on a significant increase in CBP electronic-device searches at border crossings. "While electronic device searches jumped by 12.6 per cent over the past year, the total number of travellers entering the United States rose by 6.6 per cent. Among the most notable increases are searches of U.S. citizens' devices, which rose nearly 22 per cent." Immigration lawyers note a heightened sense of fear and scrutiny, with some travelers reporting questions about their political opinions, including about the President.
Trump 2.0 [ID #2135]
2025.10.04 Reported: U.S. customs searches of electronic devices rise at borders - CBC NewsSubsequent Trump and Court Action
December 10, 20252025.12.10 Complaint - Chavarria v DHS
Wilmer Chavarria, superintendent of Vermont’s Winooski School District, sued DHS, CBP, and ICE after agents detained him at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport upon his return from Nicaragua. The complaint alleges that agents coerced him to surrender electronic devices and passwords and told him that he had no Fourth Amendment rights at the border. Chavarria’s primary concern was protecting the privacy of sensitive student data stored on his devices. Although agents assured him they would not access that information, his devices were searched outside his presence, leaving him unaware of what data or media were viewed or exported. Chavarria challenges a CBP directive from 2018 as well as an ICE directive from 2009, which expressly authorize warrantless and suspicion-less electronic-device searches. He alleges these directives violate the Fourth Amendment and seeks to have them set aside under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Chavarria v. DHS, No. 3:25-cv-04289 (D.D.C.).
**Link to case here. Our litigation entries generally report only the initial complaint and any major substantive filings or decisions. For additional information, CourtListener provides access to PACER and all available pleadings. Other sites that track litigation in more detail or organize cases by topic include Civil Rights Clearinghouse, Justice Action Center, National Immigration Litigation Alliance, and Just Security**
View DocumentCurrent Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: Reported In LitigationTrump Administration Actions: Agency Directive Change in PracticeSubject Matter: BorderAgencies Affected: CBPAssociated or Derivative Policies
Documents
Trump-Era Policy Documents
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Subsequent Action
Original Source:
Complaint - Chavarria v DHS
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