Border Searches in the Age of Terrorism

Abstract:     
This article will first explore the history of border searches. It will look to the reorganization of the border enforcement apparatus resulting from 9/11 as well as the intersection of the Fourth Amendment and border searches generally. Then, it will analyze the Supreme Court's last statement on border searches in the Flores-Montano27 decision, including what impact this decision has had on the lower courts. Finally, the article will focus on Fourth Amendment cases involving terrorism concerns after 9/11, as a means of drawing some conclusions about the effect the emerging emphasis on terrorism and national security concerns will likely have on border searches in this post-9/11 world.

Keywords: personal freedom, individual freedom, national security, United States Border Patrol, Fourth Amendment

Accepted Paper Series