What does CBP decide, and where does its authority reach?
CBP has two faces for immigrants. The Office of Field Operations staffs ports of entry, where everyone seeking admission must be inspected. The Border Patrol works between ports and near the border. Admission is a legal act: a lawful entry after inspection and authorization by an officer. Parole is not an admission, even though you are physically here, and that difference can change what you may file later, as our page on the meaning of admission explains. The regulations define the reasonable distance for certain vehicle and vessel searches as within 100 air miles of the external boundary, so Border Patrol activity can reach far inland. CBP can also issue a Notice to Appear. Next step: keep your passport, your I-94 and any paper CBP gave you, because later applications depend on how you came in.
What can go wrong at the airport or border?
A valid visa does not settle admission. An officer who suspects a problem can send you to secondary inspection. If you are found inadmissible for fraud or for lacking proper documents, the statute orders expedited removal without the regular hearing before a judge, unless you say you want asylum or fear persecution. In that case the officer must refer you to an asylum officer, so say it clearly and at once. You may also be allowed to withdraw your application for admission and leave. That is discretionary, not a right, and it must be voluntary. Do not sign a sworn statement or a form you cannot read, and ask for a Russian interpreter. If you are given a date in court, write it down and use our guide to finding your hearing. Call your family's lawyer as soon as you are allowed.
I have a green card. Can CBP treat me as a new applicant?
Usually a returning permanent resident is not treated as seeking admission, but the statute lists six exceptions. They include abandoning status, an absence of more than 180 continuous days, illegal activity after leaving, and a listed criminal offense. USCIS treats a stay of more than a year as the general warning point, but abandonment can be found on shorter trips, based on your intent and ties such as work, taxes and a home. For a long trip, apply for a reentry permit on Form I-131 before leaving. Form I-407 is a form for voluntarily giving up residence, so if you are handed one, do not sign unless you truly mean to abandon your status. Ask for a copy of anything you are given. Contact a lawyer before your next trip if you have an arrest record or long absences.
Can CBP look through my phone?
Yes, at a port of entry, although few travelers face it. CBP reports searching the devices of 55,318 travelers in fiscal year 2025, and 92% of those searches were basic. Its policy says all travelers must present devices in a condition that allows examination. If a passcode blocks the search, the device can be held, and you may be delayed. The consequences differ. A U.S. citizen will not be refused entry over this. For a noncitizen, CBP may weigh noncompliance when deciding admissibility, although it says inability to inspect does not alone decide the matter. So never lie to an officer. If you are a visitor or a permanent resident and something on the phone worries you, such as messages about work or a planned stay, speak to a lawyer before you travel. Ask for the notice CBP gives about the search, which explains how to raise concerns.
How do I fix a wrong I-94 or entry record?
If the officer made the error when you entered, go to a CBP Deferred Inspection Site. It can correct the classification, biographical details or the period of admission. Hours are short and mail-in correction is generally not available, though each site lists an I-94 email, so write or call first. Miami: General Aviation Facility, 3550 NW 57th Avenue, (305) 906-2573, weekdays 8 to 11 a.m., cbpmiai94@cbp.dhs.gov. West Palm Beach: 1 East 11 Street, 2nd Floor, Riviera Beach, (561) 844-1703 x249, Tuesday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., cbpwpbi94@cbp.dhs.gov. Los Angeles: 300 N. Los Angeles St., Room 2067, (310) 665-4580, Monday to Thursday, 8 to 12 and 1 to 4, I94LAX@CBP.DHS.GOV. Sites fix only errors made at entry, so extensions and changes of status go to USCIS. Details of the record and the replacement form are on our Form I-94 page. A shorter date than you were granted can create problems with unlawful presence, so do this before the printed date passes.
I got a CBP email ending my parole. What now?
Keep the email. In Sileiri Doe v. DHS, USCIS lets class members ask for review of adverse decisions issued from April 1, 2025 to April 21, 2026, with no fee and no deadline. Class members booked through CBP One, were paroled from May 16, 2023 to January 19, 2025, lost parole by CBP email in April 2025 and remain here. Most requests use Form I-290B: write Sileiri Doe at the top, attach the email, and select one Part 2 box, not Appeal. For an asylum decision, instead mail the asylum office covering your home a request explaining how the termination affected your eligibility. A judge must first end any removal case, unless you are an unaccompanied child. A parole work permit request under category C11 sent without a fee is rejected. Some I-485 cases in proceedings, and decisions of a judge or the Board, cannot use I-290B. Check the hearing system too, and if you are unsure whether you are in the class, Ace Immigration's removal defense team can read your papers.