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Border protection agent’s integrity in question after travelers are inappropriately searched and personal information confiscated.

Border protection agents integrity in question after travelers inappropriately searched and personal information confiscated.

Nabila Mango, a US citizen, returned from a trip in Jordan when she was detained by customs agents. While being interrogated for an hour and a half, her cell phone was searched trough and her number log erased.

Another citizen (anonymous) was stopped after returning from a business trip in London. He was told to give the private access to his laptop. He informed the agent that the information was property of his job. The traveler conceded and the officer downloaded the man’s web history.

Maria Udy was departing Dulles International Airport for London, when she was told to hand over her laptop. The agent told Udy that she was a security concern and gave no further explanation.

The search and seizure of electronic property has been an insidious problem at the US border check points. Protest have erupted and civil liberties groups plan to file a lawsuit to pressure the government to disclose their search and seizure policies. It’s not a surprise that strong majority of the people profiled are of middle eastern background.

So, the egos of our bulldog policing agencies have caused another state or unwarranted caution . Many businesses now have policies against traveling with electronic company files