customs official asked to see the his laptop which included photos of hamas immigration rally in the middle east. i explained to the immigration officer i had the photos this was my research. reporter: he was cuffed and held for hours while the computer was searched for 11 days. the aclu doesn t oppose searching of laptops and other electronic voices at the border. we think when some government examines the contents of someone s electronic devices they have to have reasonable suspicion. reporter: but they don t, whether a port of entry in arizona or customs in los angeles. customs has the right to look at your bag, computer, cell phone or camera. supreme court consistently held that border officers can search without suspicion for routine searches. reporter: they argue that the they are essentialality for public safety and they agreed