June 7, 2013
DHS: A Hunch is Enough for Searching your Laptop
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
The Homeland Security Department is defending its policy of relying on a hunch to search laptops and copy digital files at the border.
Civil rights groups like the American Civil Liberties Union say that federal officials at the border should have reasonable suspicion before opening a person's electronic devices.
But in an internal study, the Homeland Security Department says that allowing border and immigration officers to act on a hunch is oftentimes the best way to protect national security.
The government report, obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, says that the higher standard sought by civil rights groups would make it harder to detect terrorists and child pornographers and could lead to lawsuits.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
