Wilmer Chavarria was returning from a visit to family in Nicaragua when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents detained him last year. When he objected, agents told him he had no protection from unreasonable search and seizure at the border, and they denied his requests to call his family and his lawyer. They released him only after he allowed them to search his personal phone, his tablet and a work laptop containing student records. 

Chavarria is suing, and his complaint points to something that has been underreported: On January 1, CBP put into effect a rewritten directive governing border searches of electronic devices. It expands what officers can search and when they can search it.

If you're crossing a U.S. border this summer, this applies to you.