Border Stop

Since tracking began in 2017, 10 journalists have been stopped for secondary screening while covering the migrant caravan.

Total cases	43

CBP officer withholds journalist’s passport until he agrees to say he writes ‘propaganda’

October 3, 2019

Ben Watson, a news editor for Defense One, was harassed by a U.S. immigration official when arriving at Dulles International …

BBC journalist questioned by border official, passport reviewed

August 29, 2019

Stephanie Hegarty, a population correspondent for BBC News, was invasively questioned about her reporting and had her passport briefly taken …

CBP agent asks British journalist entering U.S. if he’s part of the ‘fake news media’

August 22, 2019

British journalist James Dyer said a Customs and Border Protection agent asked him if he was “part of the ‘fake …

Independent photographer stopped for secondary screening, devices seized

June 28, 2019

Independent photographer Tim Stegmaier was stopped for secondary screening and had his electronic devices confiscated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on June 28, 2019.Stegmaier was flying in from Shanghai, China, to Detroit, Michigan, after a photojournalism trip to the Philippines when CBP officers pulled him aside for additional screening. In an account published by the ACLU of Ohio titled, “Photographs and the First Amendment. My Harrowing Journey Through U.S. Customs,” Stegmaier wrote that the officers didn’t provide any explanation …

Freelance reporter stopped while crossing border; passport card photographed

May 24, 2019

Nate Abaurrea, a freelance reporter and radio journalist, was stopped and pulled aside for additional screening by U.S. Customs and …

Rolling Stone journalist stopped for secondary screening, has electronics searched while asked invasive questions about reporting

May 13, 2019

After arriving on a flight from Mexico City on May 13, 2019, Rolling Stone journalist Seth Harp was stopped for …

Journalist stopped at the border for the third time, questioned about his work and FOIA request

February 16, 2019

Manuel Rapalo, a freelance journalist, was stopped and pulled aside for additional screening measures while entering the United States on …

BuzzFeed News reporter aggressively questioned about reporting at passport checkpoint

February 3, 2019

A Customs and Border Protection agent aggressively questioned Australian BuzzFeed News reporter David Mack about his work at a passport …

Journalist stopped at the border for the second time, camera searched

January 26, 2019

Manuel Rapalo, a freelance journalist, was stopped and pulled aside for additional screening measures while entering the United States via …

Journalist denied entry into Mexico found on government’s secret database

January 17, 2019

Freelance photojournalist Kitra Cahana had an alert placed on her passport and was entered into a database authorized by the …

Independent filmmaker stopped for second time while crossing U.S.-Mexico border, car and phone searched

January 6, 2019

An independent documentary filmmaker was stopped at the U.S.-Mexico border twice by U.S. officials while following the migrant caravan for a film project. The second stop included a search of his equipment.The filmmaker, a foreign citizen who is based in the U.S., told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that in December 2018 he was crossing the San Ysidro border near San Diego, California, when he was stopped and held for several hours after being recognized for his work by a …

Journalist stopped at the US-Mexico border, questioned about immigration reporting

January 5, 2019

Manuel Rapalo, a freelance journalist, was stopped and pulled aside for additional screening measures while entering the United States via …

Photojournalist pulled into secondary screening at border

January 5, 2019

Mark Abramson, a freelance photojournalist, was pulled into secondary screening by U.S. border officials while returning from Mexico on Jan. …

Photojournalist questioned at San Ysidro border, separated from camera

January 4, 2019

On Jan. 4, 2019, freelance photojournalist Ariana Drehsler was stopped at the U.S.-Mexico border and subjected to secondary screening measures …

Photojournalist questioned at U.S.-Mexico border for second time

January 2, 2019

Freelance photojournalist Ariana Drehsler was stopped for a secondary screening and questioned while entering the United States from Mexico on …

Photojournalist stopped and questioned at US-Mexico border

January 1, 2019

Spanish freelance photojournalist Emilio Fraile was questioned in secondary screening by U.S. authorities while traveling from Tijuana, Mexico, to San …

Search Results Summary

Total Results	16
Journalists affected	13
Institutions affected	0

How we track Border Stops

Journalists stopped at the border and subjected to prolonged, invasive questioning or who have their electronic devices searched or are asked to provide passwords. We count border stops even if we are unable to draw a direct connection between the stop and the journalist’s work activities, because the resistance of U.S. authorities to provide information makes it extremely difficult to identify the motive and because invasive questioning or device searches could jeopardize source confidentiality no matter the motive. Not every stop at the border is a press freedom violation, but we believe it is essential to capture patterns related to these stops. This category also includes cases where journalists are prevented from entering the country if it appears that their inability to enter the country is related to their work.