ADC Launches National Reporting Portal to Document CBP Seizures of Electronic Devices at U.S. Airports and Borders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 29, 2026
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Washington, D.C. | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) launched a national reporting portal to collect firsthand accounts and document the growing number of reports of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers demanding access to and seizing of travelers’ electronic devices at U.S. airports and other ports of entry. The initiative comes as ADC continues to receive reports of these practices affecting journalists, activists, attorneys, Arabs, Muslims, and ordinary Americans who have criticized the government. CBP’s actions appear not to be based on any valid law enforcement justification. Reports of these incidents have emerged from airports nationwide, including Washington Dulles, Newark Liberty, Miami International, Boston Logan, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis–St. Paul.

ADC’s platform allows individuals whose phones, laptops, or other electronic devices have been confiscated by federal authorities to confidentially report their experiences directly to ADC’s legal team. By collecting firsthand accounts, ADC aims to document growing reports of abuses at U.S. ports of entry, identify patterns of potential constitutional violations, and pursue litigation challenging unlawful searches and seizures of electronic devices.

The launch follows a series of significant legal victories secured by ADC in federal courts challenging warrantless electronic-device seizures and searches. ADC has successfully compelled federal authorities to return confiscated devices and, critically, persuaded courts to require the government to explain what happened to the devices and the sensitive information they contained while in federal custody.

“Every week, we hear from more Americans who have had their devices seized simply because they refused to surrender access to their private information and who appear to have been targeted in the first place because they voiced views or participated in professional activities challenging the Administration — particularly on Middle East foreign policy,” said ADC President and Legal Director, Jenin Younes. “The challenges we have been able to file represent only a fraction of unlawful seizures and searches. We want to hear from anyone who has experienced this treatment so we can document the scope of these abuses and hold the government accountable.”

Recent federal data confirms a sharp increase in electronic-device searches at U.S. ports of entry. According to CBP statistics, officers conducted more than 52,000 electronic-device searches during the first nine months of fiscal year 2026, a nearly 33% increase over the same period in 2025. The agency conducted more than 55,000 searches during fiscal year 2025, setting an annual record. Meanwhile, a September 2026 Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report identified significant failures in CBP’s documentation and oversight of these practices, including its failure to adequately track whether information obtained from travelers’ devices was copied, retained, or shared with other federal agencies.

Although these figures demonstrate an increase in searches, they do not establish how many involved potentially unlawful conduct or whether particular communities have been disproportionately affected.

The constitutional questions surrounding these practices remain unresolved. To date, there is no uniform nationwide standard establishing when border officials may search the contents of travelers’ phones without a warrant. Federal appellate courts have adopted conflicting interpretations of the Fourth Amendment, leaving travelers subject to different protections depending on where they enter the United States.

ADC’s ongoing legal challenges illustrate why accountability and a clear nationwide constitutional standard are essential:

• Blumenthal v. Mullin: In July, CBP seized two phones belonging to journalist Max Blumenthal at Dulles International Airport following his return from a reporting trip to Iran. ADC secured the return of his devices and obtained court-authorized discovery into what federal officials did with them. ADC subsequently filed a federal lawsuit challenging the seizure and attempted search under the First and Fourth Amendments.
• Shehadeh v. Mullin: In September, CBP seized the phone of Palestinian American attorney Jalal “Jay” Shehadeh at Newark Liberty International Airport despite his warnings that it contained privileged attorney-client communications. Following ADC’s emergency federal motion, the government returned his phone. ADC continues to challenge the constitutional implications of the seizure.
• Imam v. Mullin: In October, CBP confiscated four electronic devices belonging to psychiatric nurse practitioner Muhammad Numaan Imam and his wife, software engineer Khadijah Mansoor, at Dulles International Airport. ADC secured the return of all four devices and a federal court order requiring sworn explanations of what government officials did with them. The court has also challenged the government’s attempt to conceal much of that information through heavily redacted filings, finding that most of the redacted material did not qualify for protection as privileged law enforcement information.

ADC has also advocated for the Supreme Court to take up the case to resolve the circuit split issue, and to require court-issued warrants for CBP to seize and search Americans’ electronic devices. In September, the organization filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Blumenthal in Anibowei v. Blanche, urging the Court to resolve conflicting federal appellate rulings and establish a clear nationwide standard for electronic-device searches at the border.

The brief calls for the Court to apply the privacy principles recognized in its landmark 2014 decision, Riley v. California, which acknowledged the vast amounts of intimate personal information stored on modern smartphones and generally required police to obtain a warrant before searching a cellphone seized incident to arrest.

Through its new reporting portal, ADC is encouraging anyone who has experienced an electronic-device seizure by CBP or other federal authorities at an airport, land border, or other port of entry to share their story. These accounts will help ADC document potential abuses, identify individuals whose experiences may warrant legal action, and build a more comprehensive understanding of how border-search authority is being exercised across the country.

Individuals can confidentially report an incident at adc.org/report-device-seizure. Submitting a report does not guarantee legal representation.

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About ADC

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American civil rights organization in the United States, founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk. ADC takes on powerful institutions and interests that threaten Americans’ constitutional rights and civil liberties. Our impact litigation and legal advocacy challenge government overreach, defend freedom of speech and dissent, and protect the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. ADC also works with national and international media to challenge discrimination, stereotypes, and misinformation, while ensuring Arab American perspectives are represented accurately and meaningfully in public debate.