Has anyone travelled the US in 2026?

[Big Dick Bob]

I probably won't step foot on American soil until the president is a Democrat.

However, all people I know who have gone stateside have had no significant issues.

 

[Ray]

I used to have al L-1 visa that allowed me to work in the US for my company. Had a complete background check carried out. The border guards know who I am and what I do.
It's always been a breeze to cross borders for me.
The last time I crossed was just after Trump came to power, before all this nonsense was amplified. I had to attend a funeral, the guard offered his condolences. No issues

 

[sybian]

Me too! And it's always the female agents that pull me aside.

Im travelling with you from now on...

 

[sybian]

You DO know that the tube of lube in your glovebox is just an invitation, righ?

Have we met?

 

[Larry's Torch]

Have we met?

Does "standing heat" ring a bell?

 

[success13]

does anyone have any first hand knowledge of their device being searched ? I’ve heard anecdotal stories but don’t know any whos experienced it.

 

[80watts]

1st Amendment- Right of Free Speech.
4 th Amendment The Fourth Amendment states: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized” Congress.gov+1. This establishes two key protections: individuals are safeguarded against arbitrary government intrusion, and warrants must be specific and justified by probable cause.

How is searching your cell phone not breaking your rights in America? see bottom for answer.

Do tourists have constitutional rights?
Yes, visitors to the United States have certain constitutional protections under the U.S. Constitution. These protections include:

• Due Process Rights: Visitors cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. This protects against arbitrary detention or unlawful seizure.
  
• Equal Protection: The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments prohibit discrimination by the government based on race, nationality, or other unjustifiable factors in certain contexts.
  
• First Amendment Freedoms: Visitors have the right to free speech, assembly, and petition, though some expression may be limited by location and manner restrictions applied equally to citizens and noncitizens.
  
• Protection Against Unreasonable Search and Seizure: The Fourth Amendment safeguards visitors against unwarranted searches by federal and state authorities, subject to legal exceptions.
  
  
  While visitors enjoy these fundamental protections, they also face some limits compared to citizens, such as the right to vote, employment rights, and immigration enforcement. Overall, while not equal in all respects to citizens, visitors retain essential constitutional safeguards during their stay.
  

What are those legal exceptions?

Well they can. Comprehensive Guide to U.S. and Canadian Border Searches of Electronic Devices : Borders Law firm
https://borderslawfirm.com/border-search-computers/

Seems you need a law degree just so you don't fall askew of the law down in the USA.

My advice just have a separate phone for when you go to the states or vacation anywhere else in the world. Only put in your key contact numbers, friends, family, and lawyers , and emergency contacts for insurance, plumbers, electrician etc.. If any of your contacts have a criminal background, don't put them on your phone.
If you do searches use a VPN while in the states. And make it a separate VPN from your normal one.

 

[Uncled]

Does "standing heat" ring a bell?

OK, who played the bull in this encounter?

 

[raulg]

I travel all the time. Have not experienced any issues whatsoever.

 

[Forum mod]

If they do ask to search your phone and you decline, you are likely going to be denied entry.

 

[islander1-1]

I have no plans ever again in my life to travel or visit the US. Not since on a trip there some jerk noticed my licence plate and said "Your'e from British Columbia, and they let you into our country? Isn't British Columbia somewhere in South America?"

 

[Neelsmith1234]

does anyone have any first hand knowledge of their device being searched ? I’ve heard anecdotal stories but don’t know any whos experienced it.

I have second hand knowledge. One of my friends had his phone searched at the border when he recently drove to New York from Montreal.

 

[Sheen]

Mentioned this in another thread but customs has been searching phones and computers since forever. Canada does too. This is nothing new and I am shocked more people don't know this. They don't need a search warrant and your phone will be taken from you


Refusing to unlock your phone for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can result in the confiscation of your device, lengthy detentions, and denial of entry into the US. The consequences depend entirely on your citizenship status and how you handle the refusal.How Your Status Affects the OutcomeUS Citizens & Lawful Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders): CBP agents cannot legally deny you entry into the United States, even if you refuse to unlock your phone. However, they can legally seize your device for further forensic examination. Your phone may be kept and held for weeks or even months.

Visa Holders & Tourists: Foreign nationals in the US on a visa or traveling via the Visa Waiver Program are not guaranteed entry. If you refuse a password request, you will almost certainly be denied entry, your visa may be revoked, and you could be detained pending deportation.

Under the "border search exception," CBP officers do not need a warrant to search electronic devices.

The Request: Officers will typically request the password or ask you to unlock the phone yourself.

The Refusal: If you refuse, your phone will likely be placed into airplane mode to prevent remote wiping and sent to a technical team.

Advanced Searches: They may use forensic tools (like Cellebrite) to bypass locks or download data.

Coming into Canada

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers have the legal authority under the Customs Act to examine personal digital devices like cell phones, tablets, and laptops.

Key rules and procedures regarding phone searches at the Canadian border include:

No Warrant Required: Officers do not need a warrant to search your device, but they generally only conduct these searches if they have specific concerns or indicators that border laws are being broken.

Obligation to Provide Passwords: You are legally required to provide your passcode if asked. Failing to unlock your device can result in the detention or seizure of your phone.

Search Parameters: Officers will usually disable network connectivity (e.g., enable airplane mode) to ensure they only examine documents, files, or media stored directly on the device. They are not permitted to read information from external networks or cloud storage.

 

[Neelsmith1234]

Mentioned this in another thread but customs has been searching phones and computers since forever. Canada does too. This is nothing new and I am shocked more people don't know this. They don't need a search warrant and your phone will be taken from you


Refusing to unlock your phone for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can result in the confiscation of your device, lengthy detentions, and denial of entry into the US. The consequences depend entirely on your citizenship status and how you handle the refusal.How Your Status Affects the OutcomeUS Citizens & Lawful Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders): CBP agents cannot legally deny you entry into the United States, even if you refuse to unlock your phone. However, they can legally seize your device for further forensic examination. Your phone may be kept and held for weeks or even months.

Visa Holders & Tourists: Foreign nationals in the US on a visa or traveling via the Visa Waiver Program are not guaranteed entry. If you refuse a password request, you will almost certainly be denied entry, your visa may be revoked, and you could be detained pending deportation.

Under the "border search exception," CBP officers do not need a warrant to search electronic devices.

The Request: Officers will typically request the password or ask you to unlock the phone yourself.

The Refusal: If you refuse, your phone will likely be placed into airplane mode to prevent remote wiping and sent to a technical team.

Advanced Searches: They may use forensic tools (like Cellebrite) to bypass locks or download data.

Coming into Canada

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers have the legal authority under the Customs Act to examine personal digital devices like cell phones, tablets, and laptops.

Key rules and procedures regarding phone searches at the Canadian border include:

No Warrant Required: Officers do not need a warrant to search your device, but they generally only conduct these searches if they have specific concerns or indicators that border laws are being broken.

Obligation to Provide Passwords: You are legally required to provide your passcode if asked. Failing to unlock your device can result in the detention or seizure of your phone.

Search Parameters: Officers will usually disable network connectivity (e.g., enable airplane mode) to ensure they only examine documents, files, or media stored directly on the device. They are not permitted to read information from external networks or cloud storage.

In Canada, CBSA officers only conduct phone searches if they have concerns. That is a big point of difference.

You are right in that US border agents have long had broad powers. In 2005, my good friend, a UK citizen, was detained and harassed for no reason at JFK for 10 hours before being allowed into the US.

The biggest concern is not what authority the border agent has, but how it is being used. In all my travels in Canada, I have never been selected for secondary screening at the airport. In the US, I was routinely "randomly" selected for screening. The issue is being unfairly subject to this treatment. At best, an electronic search or at the other extreme, as we have seen, arbitrary detention for several days.

 

[Lenno]

In Canada, CBSA officers only conduct phone searches if they have concerns. That is a big point of difference.

You are right in that US border agents have long had broad powers. In 2005, my good friend, a UK citizen, was detained and harassed for no reason at JFK for 10 hours before being allowed into the US.

The biggest concern is not what authority the border agent has, but how it is being used. In all my travels in Canada, I have never been selected for secondary screening at the airport. In the US, I was routinely "randomly" selected for screening. The issue is being unfairly subject to this treatment. At best, an electronic search or at the other extreme, as we have seen, arbitrary detention for several days.

Every single time I come home through YVR, I'm put into the secondary screening. It's usually not more than a time delay, but I've a spotless record and have no incidents. The ex had her phone searched after we came back from Blaine for some shopping back in 2010. It does happen.

 

[GeeBeeP]

People don't understand that, differential treatment of people of colour has long existed in the US, long before Trump and maga. In the late and early 2010s I traveled a lot in the states for work. I can't tell you how many times I was "randomly" chosen for additional screening at the airport and border. Lot of the times, I would be traveling with the same work colleagues and they would just breeze past security at airports and I would be chosen for screening. After a few trips, they started believing it wasn't random.

I dont go to the states much nowadays, but I share your sentiment. It simply isn't worth the risk, hassle, invasion of privacy,....

Also, importantly for me, I don't want to spend my money in a country whose government is actively trying to harm and blackmail us.

Travel to the US as a middle aged white dude was always a breeze, not so much for others.

Early on in TRUMP 2 I was talking with a Canadian friend who lived in the US for several years. At the time the Pentagon was removing something honouring black veterans from the Arlington National Cemetery, and I asked what the point of this shit was? (it’s only become worse and more blatant since)

She said something that stuck in my head. America is a far more racist country than visitors understand, and she didn’t see it until she was living and working there. Segregation is still a thing, not just in the south, and now Trump and his lunatics are just doing it more openly and making it policy.

 

[islander1-1]

Travel to the US as a middle aged white dude was always a breeze, not so much for others.

Early on in TRUMP 2 I was talking with a Canadian friend who lived in the US for several years. At the time the Pentagon was removing something honouring black veterans from the Arlington National Cemetery, and I asked what the point of this shit was? (it’s only become worse and more blatant since)

She said something that stuck in my head. America is a far more racist country than visitors understand, and she didn’t see it until she was living and working there. Segregation is still a thing, not just in the south, and now Trump and his lunatics are just doing it more openly and making it policy.

Mommy, why are all the black people sitting in the back of the bus? Another reason I won't travel there.