Border agents limit confiscation of laptops

Travelers will no longer be subject to indefinite confiscation of laptops and mobile devices by U.S. border agents, and will be allowed to be present when officials are reviewing stored information, under policies revised recently by the Department of Homeland Security.

Under the revised guidelines:

1) Agents are not allowed to keep laptops and mobile devices for more than five days, unless there are extenuating circumstances. (Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the investigative branch of Homeland Security, can keep devices for up to 30 days.)

2) Travelers are allowed to be present during searches, but they are not entitled to see what agents are doing.