By Elizabeth Klarin ( April 30, 2026, 11:36 AM EDT) -- Increasingly, U.S. government entities appear to be utilizing technology to screen visa and other immigration benefit applicants. In some cases, this has become very public and transparent. For example, most people are aware that phones and other electronic devices can be screened when coming into the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have broad, warrantless authority to search electronic devices — most commonly phones, laptops and cameras — at ports of entry, regardless of citizenship, to protect national security. However, these types of searches are impacting far fewer people (less than 0.01 per cent of arriving international travellers, in FY 2025) than social media screenings, which are being utilized more and more commonly in adjudicating requests for admission, visas or other benefits....