Documents show U.S. government's use of border search exception to conduct domestic investigations

The ACLU recently released documents detailing how the United States targets citizens for domestic investigations by abusing the border search exception. The doctrine allows for searches and seizures to take place at international borders without probable cause.

David House had his computer, phone, and other devices seized as he returned to the United States from vacation. House was then working with the Bradley Manning Support Network.

Government documents demonstrate how House was placed in a database which notified Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a department of ICE, of House's plans to travel internationally. "HSI was acting in cooperation with—and perhaps at the request of—the Department of Justice, the Department of State, and the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division."

Ultimately, House's devices were searched, and 26,000 files were evaluated. However, the government concluded that “no data was found that constituted evidence of a crime.”

The documents, released as part of House's settlement with the government, are available here.