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Click to purchase an individual user subscription with your credit card. Related information Show (/news/) News Constitutional Law Follow 2nd Circuit Rules Warrant Not Required for Cell Phone Searches at Border "Under our [Second Circuit] precedents, no suspicion is required before the government searches a traveler's property at the border," Judge Steven Menashi wrote. "Because a cell phone is property, our precedents establish that the government does not need to have reasonable suspicion before searching a traveler's cell phone at the border." 4 minute read September 17, 2026 at 05:01 PM By Avalon Zoppo (The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City. Photo: Ryland West/Law.com) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City. Photo: Ryland West/Law.com Email Share Font Size (18) Small (20) Medium (22) Large Print The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Thursday that law enforcement agents need neither a warrant nor reasonable suspicion of criminal activity to search the cell phone of a person entering the United States. Exclusive Content A Subscription is Required to Access this Content. Subscribe to Law.com Today for: Strategic Intelligence - Business of law market insights from experts and analysts across all major legal markets Integrated Insights - Compass and Radar context built right into articles. Personalized Experience - Tailored homepage content and curated newsletters. Smart Search & Alerts - Powerful search functionality and real-time updates. (https://www.explore.law.com/subscriptions/access-quote) Learn more Already a subscriber? 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