Samuel Tunick faces up to five years for phone wipe at Atlanta border

Samuel Tunick, a 28‑year‑old U.S. citizen and activist with the Defend the Atlanta Forest (Stop Cop City) movement, was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Jan 24 2025 while returning from the Dominican Republic. When asked to unlock his Google Pixel phone, Tunick entered a panic code built into the GrapheneOS operating system, causing the device to wipe all data. Agents reported the screen went blank, flashed several times and the phone restarted empty.

Tunick has been charged under a federal statute that criminalizes the destruction of evidence to impede seizure and faces up to five years in prison. His lawyers argue the seizure violated his Fourth Amendment rights, noting he was denied access to counsel and no warrant was presented. The case underscores ongoing debates about the scope of border searches of electronic devices and digital‑privacy protections. A hearing is scheduled for October, with a trial date yet to be set.