Reporter Max Blumenthal, founder of the independent outlet the Grayzone, faced what he describes as targeted treatment upon returning to the United States from Iran in July. The incident began when social media posts from Trump ally Laura Loomer targeted Blumenthal while he was in Tehran covering the funeral of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Loomer’s posts suggested he should be detained upon his return to the US.
When Blumenthal arrived at Dulles airport on July 10, border patrol agents selected him for secondary inspection. Agents questioned him about how he financed his trip, his contacts in Iran, and future travel plans. They requested access to his two cellphones, which he declined to provide. The agents seized the phones but left his laptop and digital cameras untouched. The federal government returned the devices approximately one week later, stating agents had been unable to access them.
Freedom-of-the-press advocates characterize the seizure as part of a broader pattern. Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said the incident represents “serious constitutional problems” and argued the Trump administration is using border searches as a tool to target journalists whose reporting it opposes. The case has drawn comparisons to a recent failed government attempt to subpoena New York Times reporters, raising questions about whether the administration is seeking to identify journalists’ sources.
Federal judge Leonie M Brinkema ruled that the government must provide evidence of its handling of the phones, giving authorities 14 days to respond. The judge cited Fourth Circuit precedent distinguishing basic phone searches from “advanced” searches requiring warrants. Blumenthal’s case involves the latter category, according to the court’s assessment. Jenin Younes of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee noted that agents’ selective seizure of phones while leaving other recording devices suggests interest in contacts and communications rather than general contraband.
Younes pointed out that other US journalists, including those from CNN and the New York Times, were in Iran covering the same funeral but have not publicly disclosed detention upon return. The case may become protracted, as government attorneys have raised questions about law enforcement privilege potentially limiting what information can be disclosed about how the phones were handled.
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