Have you ever traveled internationally and then upon returning to the United States, been asked by border control for your cell phone? Whether this has happened to you or not, you probably wonder if you are required to give it to them, and whether they are violating your rights and privacy.

This has happened to a small percentage of travelers, but the percentage has risen sharply since 2015. Due to this increase, Congress was introduced with a new bill that would limit United States border agents when it comes to searching cell phones of Americans who are returning to the country. The new bill, if passed, would require the border agent to have probable cause, at the least, to search and even seize a cell phone.

Even if the bill is not passed, the United States border agents do have the ri...