Border Searches of Laptops and Other Electronic Storage Devices
"The Fourth Amendment generally requires a warrant to support most searches
and seizures conducted by the government. Federal courts have long recognized that
there are many exceptions to this general presumption, one of which is the border
search exception. The border search exception permits government officials, in
most “routine” circumstances, to conduct searches with no suspicion of wrongdoing
whatsoever. On the other hand, in some “non-routine” and particularly invasive
situations, customs officials are required to have “reasonable suspicion” in order to
conduct a search."