Border Stop

Total cases	12

International Arrivals at O'Hare airport

BBC journalist questioned by US border agents, devices searched

May 18, 2017

Ali Hamedani, a reporter for BBC World Service, was stopped in Chicago O’Hare airport two days after President Donald Trump …

CNN producer detained in Atlanta airport

May 18, 2017

Mohammed Tawfeeq, a CNN editor and producer, was detained Sunday at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and subjected to secondary screening …

Russian documentary journalist denied entry to the U.S.

July 31, 2017

A Russian documentary reporter was denied entry to the U.S. while trying to fly from Moscow’s Shremetyevo airport to New …

International passengers arrive at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles

Journalist questioned at Dulles International Airport

July 26, 2017

Isma’il Kushkush — a former acting bureau chief of the New York Times in East Africa and International Center for …

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.