Lawsuit would limit device searches at border

Two civil liberties groups contend that recent policy changes give U.S. agencies nearly unfettered ability to search travelers’ laptops and smartphones at border crossings.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the ACLU’s Massachusetts branch have asked a court to strike down new electronic device search policies from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The groups want the court to rule the search policies violate the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. The groups asked for the summary judgment during an April 30 hearing in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts.