When my cousin — a United States lawful permanent resident — mentioned he was planning a trip to Mexico next month to visit his parents, my knee-jerk reaction was to tell him: Don’t go.
It felt both like a dramatic overreaction and a perfectly rational, protective instinct.
That’s because of the stories that have emerged in recent weeks with alarming frequency: Green card holders — people who live here legally, paying taxes and raising families — being subjected to aggressive and invasive scrutiny at ports of entry. Their phones are being searched, their social media posts combed through, and, in some cases, they’re being denied reentry altogether, often for vague or undisclosed reasons.
The message is chillingly clear: Even having legal status is no longer a guarantee of safe passage. And when a simple trip home to see family can end with a nightmare at the border, deportation, or a legal limbo, the cost of travel is no longer just financial or logistical. It’s deeply personal and potentially life-altering.
Last month, the case of Rasha Alawieh, a distinguished Lebanese doctor and professor at Brown University, made national headlines when she was denied entry at Boston Logan International Airport by US Customs and Border Protection agents upon her arrival from Lebanon. Her valid H-1B work visa was canceled, and she was subsequently detained and deported, after agents found sympathetic photos and videos of Hezbollah figures on her phone.
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Another local case: Fabian Schmidt, a green card holder from New Hampshire, was detained last month at Logan Airport after visiting Luxembourg. Border control agents flagged his green card for unspecified reasons, allegedly subjected him to violent interrogation, and pressured him to relinquish his residency status. He was denied access to medication and held under harsh conditions at an ICE detention facility.
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Most recently, a French academic was reportedly denied entry in Houston after CBP agents discovered text messages criticizing Trump’s policies on his phone. The US government claimed the decision was based on “sensitive information” related to national security.
There’s a lot we don’t know in those cases, and it’s true that the circumstances vary. But what we do know is that the fear is not unfounded. The likelihood of my cousin, a health care executive, being flagged or detained by border officials is objectively low. But it’s not zero. He has no criminal record, has not broken any laws or committed application fraud. His lawyer reassured him that it was fine to travel, but also reminded him that Customs and Border Protection has the authority to inspect his phone and ask probing questions about his green card case. The message was: You have nothing to be worried about. The subtext: Be smart.
That’s the paradox green card and visa holders face today. Technically, they have rights. But at the border, those rights are often overshadowed by the wide discretion afforded to CBP officers.
That brings me back to the issue of digital searches. Federal agents have broad authority to inspect travelers and their belongings, including electronic devices, at ports of entry. Lest we forget, the CBP operates under a “border exemption” to the Fourth Amendment, which allows for searches without a warrant, probable cause, or even reasonable suspicion at American borders.
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Historically, the percentage of people who get their electronic devices inspected annually is very low: In FY 2023, CBP conducted such searches for less than 0.01 percent of arriving travelers. But for the unlucky few who are flagged, those searches, justified under national security concerns, can be deeply invasive, ranging from basic manual inspections to advanced forensic analyses that copy device content.
Noncitizens can object to these searches, but that could be worse because it may raise unnecessary concerns for agents. “This presents a no-win dilemma,” reads a digital privacy guide for travelers at the US border prepared by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “If a traveler complies, then the agents can scrutinize and copy their sensitive digital information. If a traveler declines, then the agents can seize their devices and subject the traveler to additional questioning and detention.”
The guide advises travelers to limit sensitive data on their devices, delete unnecessary files, encrypt data, and disable biometric passwords to enhance privacy. It’s also suggested to log out of all social media sites on electronic devices while traveling and make those accounts private to make the post not viewable by the public.
That’s really the heart of the conundrum. It’s perfectly reasonable to feel anxious or, in some cases, cancel the trip altogether. But it’s also important to keep perspective. Most green card and visa holders are not stopped or searched. Most reenter without incident and the odds are in your favor.
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Maybe it’s not full-blown paranoia, maybe it’s just borderline anxiety. And in this climate, that feels like the sanest response.
This is an excerpt from ¡Mira!, a Globe Opinion newsletter from columnist Marcela García. Sign up to get ¡Mira! in your inbox each week.
Marcela García is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at marcela.garcia@globe.com. Follow her on X @marcela_elisa and on Instagram @marcela_elisa.
