Immigrant Daily

DHS’ Standards on Border Search of Electronic Devices Good But Inadequate: ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had a mixed reaction on DHS’ new standards for border searches of electronic devices. In a posting on its website, ACLU cautioned that while the new rules are a good first step, they do not go far enough to protect civil liberties. The new standards fail to address the fundamental constitutional problems of suspicionless searches that have been occurring at the border. The organization has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to review the CBP’s laptop searches at the border since they were initiated in last year. Christopher Calabrese, counsel for the ACLU Technology and Liberty Program, said that the new policies offer two improvements. They limit the time that CBP officers can keep the electronic devices they are searching, and established that the agency can retain the information gathered from laptops and devices only if there is probable cause to suspect a crime.

For more information, please click: New DHS Standards For Electronic Border Searches Not Adequate