As Alexander, an Asian research scientist at a top US university, was preparing to prepare for his work to Brazil, his preparations changed an extraordinary direction. He consulted with his lawyer, brought Burner’s phone and carried a blank laptop. Once he was done, he uploaded the data to the cloud and cleaned the machine before flying home. “I was encouraged to zero data on my device,” he said. It was “very destructive.”
With Donald Trump returning to the White House, many business executives, academics and government officials in Europe and elsewhere are approaching travel to the US with a level of attention associated with high-risk jurisdictions such as China and several countries in the Middle East.
Though stricter immigration enforcement and more aggressive border screenings (including searching and copying data from travelers’ devices and sometimes refusing to enroll, organizations are urging them to reassess the risks and protocols even on routine work trips. Immigration attorneys said contact, email, messages and social media posts could be subject to testing.
Under the Trump administration, the number of border searches between January and mid-May has already surpassed those recorded in the first half of 2024.
Like other individuals who contributed to this article, Alexander, who was asked to remain anonymous due to security concerns, symbolizes this shift. “I am an immigrant, not a US citizen, I am working on climate change and I can meet stakeholders such as labor unions and academics in Brazil, a country led by left-wing governments.
His university officials advised not to leave the country, saying they were wary of potential backlash from the Trump administration, saying they would not provide legal aid if they encounter problems at the border. The attorney he personally hired issued a harsh warning, saying that border agents were in a “find me, we find the crime” mode.
The uncertainty follows Trump’s January 20th executive order. It aims to introduce additional review and screening processes for foreigners seeking the United States and those already based there. It also laid the foundation for new travel restrictions and reviews of existing visas.
Hilton Beckham, deputy director of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told FT: “CBP searches are consistent with the increase since 2021, with under 0.01% of travelers searching for devices.
She said the search played a “significant” national security role, and “agreement that political beliefs were groundless and irresponsible.”
However, US universities, including Duke and Columbia, are one of those who advise international staff and students not to leave the country unless absolutely necessary. This followed a series of detention and deportation that rattled confidence even among those holding valid visas and green cards.
Last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Halil could degenerate, particularly as his “conviction, statement or association” would compromise the interests of US foreign policy.
The European Commission issued burner phones and basic laptops to US staff to avoid the risk of spying. The Financial Times reported that commissioners and senior officials travelling to the IMF and World Bank spring meetings last month have been given new guidance.
Businesses are also taking action quickly. Many people are seeking new legal advice from employees traveling to the US for work. Others have changed plans and sometimes advised travel.
Elizabeth Nanton, a U.S. immigration practice leader and partner at KPMG Law in Canada, said that despite the majority of travelers not encountering any issues, companies are preparing US staff to ask potential questions and advise on what to do if the device is searched. The client asks, “What will happen and what will be expected?” She said several clients are reevaluating their IT policies to scrutinize which data staff should carry the devices.
No matter how many times a non-US citizen enters the country, businesses should treat each case as a “new decision to accept”; Nanton added. She has advised businesses to work with immigration experts on a case-by-case basis for us travel.
While some companies have updated their US travel guidance, they are wary of publishing certain instructions because they don’t want to attract attention from Trump administration officials. One UK-based investor, a large asset manager, said staff were told to “take considerable caution” when bringing personal mobile phones to the US. “Do you say that a business trip to the US is the same as going to China?” he said.
An industry executive in the New York-based pharmaceutical industry said some large companies in the sector are not sending people to the US, especially if they thought it would likely be suspended at the border because they were “brown, Muslim or Chinese.”
London-based company executives said their company is encouraging staff to apply for Global Entry, a US program that speeds up border checks for vetted travelers. Meanwhile, some U.S. technology companies are urging foreign staff to carry a wide range of personal documents, including marriage certificates, rental contracts and salaries, to facilitate re-entry.
Online forums such as Reddit provide advice on how to, for example, remove social media apps and avoid storing politically sensitive content on your phone.
Since the executive order on January 20th, the UK and German governments have updated travel advice in harsher language, warning citizens that even small violations could lead to detention. “U.S. authorities will set and enforce entry rules strictly. If they break the rules, they are liable to arrest or detain them,” the UK says.
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Some lawyers with UK companies with US business interests, said that while these rules were always enforced regularly, they are more enforced, which is why British and German authorities tweaked travel guidance.
“The chances (of facing trouble) are still quite low,” the lawyer said. “For businesses on a daily basis, they focus on digital devices. Federal authorities have long been able to seize, search and copy information on devices.”
Shifts are beginning to drip into business trip bookings. Air France-KLM and Lufthansa have reported signs that weakens the demand for transatlantic routes among European passengers.
“There’s a clear slowdown in business travel bookings,” said Henry Halteveld, a travel industry analyst.
“Various airlines say they are seeing a “slight” or “slack” slowdown in future business trip bookings, including both domestic and within the US, and within the US. ”
He said that the reasons this includes weakening the economy not only cause cuts in business travel, but also raises “concerns among international business travelers about issues that could enter the United States.”
Harteveldt said there is “notable concern among corporate travel managers regarding international inbound travel to the United States.”
Research scientist Alexander is already thinking about the preparations he has to make for his next business trip to the UK this time. “We have to do the exact same thing again,” he said.
Additional Reports by Hannah Kuchler and Philip Georgiadis
