ADC Sues DHS Secretary Over Illegal Seizure Of Max Blumenthal’s Devices
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a time-sensitive motion in the Eastern District of Virginia’s federal court on behalf of journalist Max Blumenthal, seeking the immediate return of two smartphones unlawfully seized and retained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The motion argues that CBP’s warrantless seizure and continued retention of Blumenthal’s phones violate the First and Fourth Amendments and the Privacy Protection Act. It seeks the immediate return of both devices and all information or copies obtained from them under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41(g), along with an expedited hearing because the seizure is interfering with Blumenthal’s work, chilling his reporting, and threatening the confidentiality of his sources and unpublished reporting.