Module: Digital security 101 — Crossing the US-Mexico border

This module focuses on how to prepare and what to expect for those traversing the U.S. southern border, centering journalists serving border communities.

Unlike most modules in the J-school digital security curriculum, it begins with a somewhat distinct perspective on risk assessment, adding further emphasis on individual attributes (e.g., nationality) and destination when traveling between countries. It also includes a handout that will help facilitate a later exercise, during which students will simulate a U.S. Customs and Border Protection interview. It goes on to include an activity analyzing why actress and singer Olivia Rodrigo may have been pulled into secondary screening during her travels. Afterward, the session examines considerations for preparing to travel, including an activity on both data and physical items students may carry during their travels.

The remainder of the session focuses on considerations for preparing devices for search, logistics when working with collaborators, and how to minimize risk when going through border screening. This also includes a final exercise in which students — using the handout above — will simulate an interview between a border agent and a journalist crossing the border.

This module was developed in collaboration with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, as well as the University of Texas at El Paso Multimedia Journalism Program and Borderzine.

Prerequisites

(None)

Estimated time

80-90 minutes

Objectives

• Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to identify information assets and physical devices they need to protect when crossing a border.
• Students will be able to develop a strategy for minimizing risk to data stored on their devices.
• Students will be able to identify the most pressing risks to their data from border officials.
• Students will be able to develop a plan for speaking to CBP officials in case they are detained.

Why this matters

Reporters living and working near the U.S. southern border routinely experience elevated levels of surveillance. Because it’s a fact of life in this region, it’s necessary to learn practical steps students can take to protect their prioritized information at key moments.

Homework

(Before class)

• Read this handout from the CBP concerning its procedures for searching your devices: “Border Search of Electronic Devices.”
• (Optional) Have students read ”Researching the Mexico-US border: a tale of dataveillance″ by Mitxy Mabel Meneses Gutierrez.
• (Optional) Have students read this short piece, from NBC News: “U.S. officials made list of reporters, lawyers, activists to question at border.”

(After class)

• (Optional) Learn how to use BitLocker To Go, Disk Utility, or VeraCrypt to encrypt a portable USB device: “Encryption toolkit for media makers: An introduction”

Sample slides

Digital security 101: Crossing the US-Mexico border (Google Slides)

Activities

• After watching a short interview with Jimmy Fallon, students are invited to answer why the performer Olivia Rodrigo may have been pulled into secondary screening.
• Play a Family Feud-style game with students to identify physical objects and data assets they need to protect at the border.
• After learning how to navigate these conversations to lower legal risk, have students simulate a screening interview between a CBP officer and a reporter.

Questions for discussion

• What kind of data do you think you’d want to remove from your device before crossing?
• Are there certain types of data you think would be impractical to remove from your devices before crossing? Why is that?

Related resources

• U.S. Press Freedom Tracker border incident database.
• The Freedom of the Press Foundation and EFF guide preparing devices for travel through a U.S. border.
• Optional, but encouraged: Use our border interview handout! Instructors who would like to conduct the CBP interview exercise should print out our handout in advance of a session. Instructors should ask students to fill out each question when a slide contains a label with the corresponding worksheet question (e.g., “WS: Question 1”).