American journalist Max Blumenthal sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, alleging that customs officers unlawfully seized his two smartphones at Washington Dulles International Airport after he returned from Iran, where he had traveled to cover the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee filed the complaint on Blumenthal’s behalf on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The lawsuit names DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott and Acting CBP Deputy Commissioner Ronald D. Vitiello as defendants.
Blumenthal traveled to Iran on a press visa to report for The Grayzone on Khamenei’s funeral and the aftermath of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, according to the ADC. On July 10, CBP officers detained him for about two and a half hours after he arrived at Dulles, questioned him about his journalism and travel, and asked him to unlock his phones. When he refused, officers seized the devices and told him they would be connected to machines to extract their data.
“Everyone seeking to enter the U.S. is subject to inspection by CBP officers,” a CBP spokesperson told JNS. “During the inspection process, CBP officers review all available information, including criminal history, immigration history, travel history and other relevant information.”
CBP’s public guidance says officers may conduct electronic-device searches during the border-inspection process. The agency distinguishes between basic searches, in which officers examine information stored on a device, and advanced searches, which involve connecting external equipment to the device. CBP reported that more than 4,500 international travelers underwent advanced electronic-device searches during the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026.
On July 5, Blumenthal wrote on social media that he had “just visited the largest funeral in history, where millions mourned Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the Iranian leader who was assassinated by the U.S.-Israeli coalition along with members of his family.” He additionally referred to the assassination of Khamenei as a “crime.”
Blumenthal alleges that officials targeted him because of his journalism and political views, including his coverage of Israel and the Middle East. The complaint cites his reporting on what it describes as the Israeli military’s use of the so-called Hannibal Directive, which Blumenthal alleges is intended to prevent Israelis from being taken hostage, including during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks.
The complaint also points to social-media posts targeting Blumenthal while he was in Iran. Conservative activist Laura Loomer, whom the complaint describes as an associate of U.S. President Donald Trump, repeatedly called for Blumenthal to be arrested, tagged federal agencies and administration officials in posts about him and alleged without evidence that he was being investigated by the FBI. On July 7, Elon Musk amplified posts accusing Blumenthal of advocating for “Antifa, Palestine, Russia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that, after CBP seized Blumenthal’s phones, Loomer claimed to have lobbied the FBI and U.S. State Department to arrest and punish him for reporting from Iran. Blumenthal’s lawyers cite the social-media campaign as evidence that he was singled out.
“There is good reason to believe that the government was targeting and punishing him for his views and journalism,” the filing states.
Blumenthal filed an emergency motion on July 16 seeking the return of his phones. CBP returned the devices the following day. The government later told the court that officials could not access the phones and that no search was conducted or information retained from them. Blumenthal nevertheless argues that the government should account for what happened to the devices and whether it attempted to access their contents.
Blumenthal, founder and editor-in-chief of The Grayzone, has frequently criticized Israel and U.S. policy toward the Middle East. In recent social-media posts, he has attacked Jewish philanthropist Miriam Adelson, called Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) a “Hebrew heifer” and alleged that Israel “played a role in stimulating the violent regime change riots that left around 3,000 dead in Iran.”
