Border searches of phones
Daniel Samuel Eta v. United States
In brief
- Where it stands
- Petition Pending
Awaiting an order on the petition
- What it’s about
- Daniel Samuel Eta has asked the Supreme Court to review whether border officials may search a traveler’s phone without a warrant or a reason tied to customs enforcement, finding contraband, or deciding who may enter the country.
- What's at stake
- The unresolved question is what legal basis federal border officials need to search a traveler’s phone at the border.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
His petition says federal appeals courts disagree about what justification these searches require.
Eta’s petition says federal appeals courts disagree about how much justification border officials need to search a traveler’s phone.
Question presented
Whether the Fourth Amendment allows a traveler’s phone to be searched at the border without a warrant or any justification tied to the historical purposes of detecting contraband, enforcing customs laws, or determining admissibility.
What happens next
The next step is for the Court to decide whether to hear the case. No oral argument is scheduled.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Brief added: Petition
Sources
Primary materials from the Court and the parties. Grounded in docket records and cited sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.