
TL;DR
An immigration advocate is suing the U.S. government after a Customs and Border Protection agent allegedly copied data from his phone without a warrant at Miami International Airport. He seeks the deletion of this sensitive information.
✦ Why It Matters
Understand your rights regarding phone searches at borders and consider legal action if your data is mishandled.
Key Takeaways
Full Summary
Thomas Kennedy, an Argentinian-American writer and immigration advocate, filed a lawsuit against the federal government after a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent searched his phone without a warrant upon his return to the U.S. at Miami International Airport. During the encounter, the agent threatened Kennedy with prolonged interrogation if he did not comply with the demand to hand over his phone.
After approximately 45 minutes, the agent returned the phone, during which Kennedy believes data was copied. The lawsuit claims that the government should delete the sensitive personal and professional information on his phone, which includes details related to his work with various nonprofit organizations.
Kennedy suspects he was targeted due to his advocacy work and the nature of his inquiries during the search.
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