Can noncitizens protest? Should you leave your phone at home when flying into and out of the United States? Post reporters walk us through the gray areas being used by the Trump administration in its effort to crack down on immigration.

Post Reports

The Washington Post

Know your rights: Protesting and traveling in the U.S. as a noncitizen

APR 1, 202525 MIN
Post Reports

Know your rights: Protesting and traveling in the U.S. as a noncitizen

APR 1, 202525 MIN

Description

<p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">From </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/03/15/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-student-protester-ice-trump/?utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">New York</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> to </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/03/27/rumeysa-ozturk-tufts-student-ice-video/?utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Boston</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> to </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2025/03/27/immigration-detainees-students-ozturk-khalil/b256e71c-0b73-11f0-8e5e-3a8d70fc4250_story.html?utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Washington</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">, we've seen arrests of noncitizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, citing ties to Hamas and Hezbollah. The evidence seems to be their participation in protests of the Israel-Gaza war, or social media posts.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Civil liberties groups say </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/28/what-constitutional-rights-noncitizens-have/?utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">the legal justifications are tenuous and potentially unconstitutional</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">. The First Amendment protects the right to speak, protest and publish views, regardless of citizenship status. But experts say that deportation is an area where courts have historically granted the executive branch broad latitude — and that gray area is where the Trump administration is operating.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Today on “Post Reports,” reporter </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/maria-luisa-paul/?utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">María Luisa Paúl</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> joins host </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/colby-itkowitz/?utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Colby Itkowitz</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> to outline the rights of noncitizen protesters.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">And, as reports emerge of </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2025/03/21/travelers-entering-united-states-rights/?utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">travelers being questioned, detained or refused entry at U.S. ports of entry</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> — and of </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/03/27/cbp-cell-phones-devices-traveling-us/?utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">travelers having their phones searched and taken by border patrol officers</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> – technology reporter </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/heather-kelly/?itid=ai_top_kellyh&amp;utm_source=podcasts&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=post-reports" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Heather Kelly</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> shares her guide to locking down your devices.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Today’s show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was mixed by Sean Carter, and edited by Maggie Penman.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Subscribe to The Washington Post </span><a href="https://subscribe.washingtonpost.com/acquisition/?s_l=OFFSITE_PODCAST&amp;p=s_v&amp;s_dt=yearly&amp;utm%5B%E2%80%A6%5De-podcast&amp;utm_medium=acq-nat&amp;utm_campaign=podcast-subs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">here</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">.</span></p>