Keith Serry had planned to bring a show to New York City’s Fringe Festival this year but canceled just weeks before. After 35 years of traveling to the United States, he says he no longer feels safe making the trip.
“The idea that we’re being judged for our opinions when entering a country that, until recently, claimed to be a model of democracy—that makes me very uncomfortable,” said Serry, a Canadian performer and lawyer. “You start worrying about leaving any trace of ‘bad opinions’ on you.”
Serry is one of many foreign nationals reconsidering travel to the U.S. under the Trump administration, following reports of visitors facing intense scrutiny and even detention upon arrival.
In March, a French scientist who had criticized Donald Trump was denied entry after his phone was searched. An Australian writer detained and turned away in June said he was questioned about his articles on pro-Palestinian protests, and then watched as a border agent examined even his most personal photos. He was told the search revealed evidence of past drug use, which he hadn’t disclosed on his visa waiver application, leading to his rejection. Tourists from Germany, Britain, and other European countries have also been detained and sent home.
More than a dozen countries have updated their travel advice for the U.S. Australia and Canada, for example, now specifically mention the possibility of electronic device searches at the border.
On experts’ advice, people are locking down social media, deleting photos and private messages, disabling facial recognition, or even traveling with “burner” phones to protect their privacy.
In Canada, several public institutions have advised employees to avoid travel to the U.S., and at least one reportedly told staff to leave their usual devices at home and bring a separate device with minimal personal information instead.
“Everyone feels guilty, but they don’t know exactly what they’re guilty of,” said Heather Segal, founding partner of Segal Immigration Law in Toronto, describing the concerns she’s been hearing. “People ask, ‘Did I do something wrong? Is there something on me? Did I say something that will cause trouble?’”
She advises travelers to assess their comfort with risk by reviewing both the private data on their devices and any publicly available information about themselves, then decide what precautions to take.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has broad authority to search devices with little justification. Travelers can refuse, but noncitizens risk being denied entry. CBP data shows these searches are rare—last year, just over 47,000 out of 420 million international travelers had their devices examined. Despite more frequent reports of such incidents, this year’s numbers show no significant increase.
“Anecdotally, it seems like these searches have been increasing, and I think that’s because they’re more targeted than before,” said Tom McBrien, counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “It seems like they’re targeting people whose political views they don’t like.”
McBrien suggests that travelers concerned about privacy minimize the amount of data they carry. “The less data you have on you, the less there is to search and collect,” he said. In addition to using a secondary device, he recommends securely deleting data, moving it to a hard drive, or storing it in a password-protected cloud account.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson rejected claims that CBP has increased device searches under the new administration or singled out travelers based on political views, stating, “These searches are conducted to detect…”A spokesperson told The Guardian in a statement that digital contraband, terrorism-related content, and information relevant to visitor admissibility are all critical to national security. They added, “Claims that inspections or removals are based on political beliefs are baseless and irresponsible.”
The statement did acknowledge that vetting had increased under the Trump administration and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. It said, “Under the leadership of the Trump Administration and Secretary Noem, we have the most secure border in American history. This has allowed CBP to focus on vetting and interviewing those attempting to enter the country.”
Alistair Kitchen, an Australian writer denied entry to the U.S. in June, said the DHS’s denial of political targeting contradicts what he was told upon arrival. He reported that border officials “openly bragged that I was pulled out of line and detained specifically because of what I’d written online about the protests at Columbia University.”
Kitchen said he has no plans to return to the U.S. under the current administration, but if he ever did, he would either not bring a phone or use a disposable one. “Under no circumstances would I hand over my passcode,” he stated. “I would accept immediate deportation rather than do that. People—especially journalists, writers, or activists—should think carefully before booking travel.”
Several foreign nationals told The Guardian they are reconsidering plans for tourism, family visits, academic events, and work in the U.S.
Donald Rothwell, a professor of international law at the Australian National University, said he is declining speaking invitations in the U.S. due to fears of being detained or denied entry—which could also affect his future travel records. He has even thought about traveling without any electronic device but remains concerned that his academic commentary in the media could still be used against him. “I might comment on issues critical of the United States,” he explained. “For example, I was very critical of the legal justification for U.S. military strikes on Iran in June.”
Kate, a Canadian who asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, said she has struggled with whether to cross the border to visit American relatives, including for an upcoming wedding. During a trip earlier this year, she deleted her social media apps before going through customs.
Despite DHS assurances that travelers are not targeted for their political views, she said, “It’s hard to believe what this government is saying.” She added, “It would be reassuring to trust that these claims are true and that the stories we hear are isolated incidents. But in many ways, it feels like the United States has lost its goodwill.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about burner phones and scrubbed social media written in a natural tone with clear direct answers
Beginner Definition Questions
Q What is a burner phone
A Its a cheap prepaid mobile phone bought with cash People use it temporarily and then discard or burn it to avoid being tracked
Q What does scrubbed social media mean
A Its the process of heavily cleaning up or deleting your social media profilesremoving old posts photos and personal informationbefore a big event or travel to protect your privacy
Q Why would someone do this just to visit the US
A Some visitors particularly from certain countries or with specific professional backgrounds are concerned about increased scrutiny of their digital history by immigration officials They take these steps to avoid any potential issues or misunderstandings at the border
Benefits Reasons
Q Whats the main benefit of using a burner phone
A Privacy and anonymity It isnt linked to your name main phone number or personal accounts making your digital footprint much harder to trace
Q How does scrubbing my social media help
A It prevents border agents from seeing old jokes political opinions or contacts that could be misinterpreted and lead to additional questioning or even denial of entry
Q Is this only for people who have something to hide
A Not necessarily Many lawabiding visitors do it purely as a precautionary measure to protect their privacy and ensure a smooth entry process as border officials have broad authority to search digital devices
Common Problems Risks
Q Can using a burner phone get me in trouble
A It is not illegal to own or use a prepaid phone However if you are asked about it by border officials and are not truthful it could be seen as suspicious behavior
Q What if I forget to scrub something from my social media
A Theres always a risk Even deleted posts can sometimes be recovered or a friends post tagging you might remain The goal is to minimize your visible digital footprint not eliminate it entirely
Q Isnt this all a bit extreme
A For the average tourist it probably is These are considered extreme measures typically taken by journalists activists researchers or individuals
