For decades, the United States was a beacon for artists, academics, and tourists from all corners of the globe. But in 2025, a growing number of international travelers are reconsidering their plans to visit, citing mounting concerns over privacy and the specter of political scrutiny at the border. The shift is palpable, with some even abandoning long-anticipated trips, and others adopting elaborate measures to shield their personal data from prying eyes.
Keith Serry, a Canadian performer and attorney, is one of those who made the difficult decision to stay away. Serry was scheduled to bring a show to New York City’s Fringe festival this year, but he pulled the plug just weeks before the event. After 35 years of traveling to the US, he says the climate has changed. “The fact that we’re being evaluated for our opinions entering a country that, at least until very recently, purported to be an example of democracy. Yeah, these are things that make me highly uncomfortable,” Serry told The Guardian. “You’re left thinking that you don’t want to leave evidence of ‘bad opinions’ on your person.”
Serry’s unease is hardly unique. In 2025, reports of travelers facing intense scrutiny and even detention on arrival have surged, particularly under the Trump administration. According to The Guardian, a French scientist who had been critical of Donald Trump was refused entry to the US in March after border agents searched his phone. In June, an Australian writer was detained and denied entry after officials grilled him about his articles on pro-Palestinian protests—and then combed through his phone, ultimately citing evidence of past drug use (which he had not declared on his visa waiver application) as grounds for rejection.
And it’s not just isolated cases. German, British, and other European tourists have also been detained and sent home, prompting more than a dozen countries to update their travel advisories. Australia and Canada, for instance, have specifically warned citizens about the possibility of electronic device searches at US borders. In Canada, several public institutions have gone so far as to urge employees to avoid US travel or, if necessary, to use secondary devices with limited personal data. At least one organization reportedly instructed staff to leave their regular devices at home and bring a “burner” phone instead.
Heather Segal, founding partner of Segal Immigration Law in Toronto, described the pervasive anxiety she’s witnessed among would-be travelers. “Everybody feels guilty, but they don’t know exactly what they’re guilty of,” Segal explained to The Guardian. “‘Did I do something wrong? Is there something on me? Did I say something that’s going to be a problem?’” Her advice? Travelers should carefully assess both the private data stored on their devices and any publicly accessible information about themselves, then take appropriate precautions.
The numbers suggest these concerns are not unfounded. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has broad powers to search electronic devices with minimal justification, and while such searches are statistically rare, they’re on the rise. In 2024, just over 47,000 out of 420 million international travelers had their devices searched. But the third quarter of 2025 saw an uptick, with more device searches than any single quarter since 2018, according to CBP data reported by The Guardian.
Tom McBrien, counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told The Guardian that device searches appear to be more politically targeted than ever before. “Anecdotally, it seems like these searches have been increasing, and I think the reason why that’s true is, undoubtedly, I think they are more targeted than before,” McBrien said. “It seems like they are targeting people who they just don’t generally like politically.” He recommends minimizing the amount of data carried across the border: “The less data you have on you, the less there is to search, and the less there is to collect.”
For many, that advice has translated into practical action. Travelers are locking down social media, deleting photos and private messages, removing facial recognition, and increasingly traveling with burner phones. Some are even considering crossing the border without any device at all—though that, too, comes with its own risks and inconveniences.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has pushed back against allegations of political targeting. In a statement to The Guardian, a DHS spokesperson asserted, “These searches are conducted to detect digital contraband, terrorism-related content, and information relevant to visitor admissibility, all of which play a critical role in national security. Allegations that political beliefs trigger inspections or removals are baseless and irresponsible.” The statement did, however, acknowledge “heightened vetting under Trump and the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem.”
Yet, the lived experiences of some travelers suggest otherwise. Alistair Kitchen, the Australian writer detained in June, said border officials “bragged actively that the reason for my targeting, for my being pulled out of line for my detainment, was explicitly because of what I’d written online about the protests at Columbia University.” Kitchen told The Guardian that he has no plans to return to the US under the current administration. “Under no conditions would I ever hand over the passcode to that phone,” he said. “I would accept immediate deportation rather than hand over the passcode. People should think seriously before booking travel, especially if they are journalists or writers or activists.”
The ripple effects are spreading through academic and creative communities. Donald Rothwell, a professor at the Australian National University, said he no longer accepts speaking invitations to the US, fearing detention or denial of entry could create red flags for future travel. “I might be commenting on matters that could be quite critical of the United States,” he told The Guardian. “For example, I was very critical of the legal or lack of legal justification for the US military strikes on Iran in June.”
Even those traveling for personal reasons are weighing the risks. Kate, a Canadian who asked that her last name be withheld for privacy, described deleting her social media apps before a recent trip to see relatives in the US. Despite DHS assurances, she remains skeptical. “It’s hard to believe things that this government is saying,” she said. “It would be really nice to have trust that those kinds of things were true, and that these kinds of stories that you hear, while absolutely horrific, are isolated incidents. But I do feel like in many ways, the United States has sort of lost its goodwill.”
With privacy concerns continuing to mount, the calculus for foreign visitors has become increasingly complicated. Travelers must now weigh not only the practicalities of their journey, but also the potential consequences of carrying personal devices and data across the US border. As device searches rise and stories of political scrutiny circulate, the once straightforward act of visiting the US has become a delicate balancing act—one that’s prompting many to pause, reconsider, or take extraordinary steps to protect their privacy.
