Border Search Assessment.pdf

The US Department of Homeland Security released new directives in August 2009 for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enhance and clarify procedures for searching laptops and other electronic devices at US ports of entry. A Privacy Impact Assessment and a Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Impact Assessment were conducted. CBP, the DHS Privacy Office, and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties collaborated to assess training materials and provide recommendations. The CBP Border Search of Electronic Information training course was released on November 24, 2009, and approximately 95% of CBP officers completed the course by June 2010. The course educates officers on procedures for conducting border searches of electronic devices, identifying special handling procedures, and following CBP procedures for detaining and retaining electronic information. The assessment found that the training course provides a thorough explanation of procedures but does not directly address how to search an electronic device.