Artist recounts border device detention experience after European travel

An artist and educator who is a U.S. citizen for over 15 years describes being detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at JFK Airport in New York after returning from France. The individual's electronic devices were confiscated during what was described as a random search, with the phones not returned after a week despite initial assurances. The account includes legal information about border search rights, noting that while passwords cannot be compelled, devices may be detained. The narrative connects this experience to broader concerns about civil liberties, contrasting with symbolic representations of freedom like the Statue of Liberty replica in Strasbourg, France.