Miami Immigrant Advocate Thomas Kennedy Sues Feds Over Phone Seizure at MIA

Thomas Kennedy, a policy consultant for the Florida Immigrant Coalition, filed a lawsuit against the federal government last Thursday, September 24, 2026. The lawsuit challenges the authority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to seize and potentially copy data from electronic devices at points of entry, stemming from an incident at Miami International Airport (MIA) earlier this month.

The legal action follows a two-hour interrogation Kennedy underwent on September 6, 2026, upon returning from a vacation to Egypt and Turkey. During this questioning at MIA, CBP agents seized his phone. Kennedy expressed concern about sensitive data, including emails, texts, calls, contacts, and immigration information, that agents may have copied from his device.

Kennedy previously detailed his experience in an opinion piece for a local publication, highlighting what he described as a frightening overreach of CBP authority. While agents eventually returned magazines and books they also seized, the potential access to his digital life remains his primary concern. He stated that this is "unfortunately how they've operated and how they interpret their inspection rights or privileges under the law."

The lawsuit brings to the forefront ongoing debates regarding the extent of federal agents' authority to access electronic devices at U.S. borders. Kennedy announced his legal challenge in a social media post last Thursday evening. This case could set a precedent for how CBP handles digital privacy for travelers entering the country.