Originally Posted by
SATTSO
PT said the ONLY requirement is to provide proof of citizenship for a US citizen to enter the US. But then states that as an administrative search their property (I assume property) is subject to search. So, as I read it - and keep in mind I am NOT a lawyer - there are 2 possible requirements: proof of citizenship, and search of property if selected. So where does the "ONLY" come in? Or what am I missing here?
PTravel has posted about this before.
First, you present passport (proof of citizenship) at immigration, get cleared. You are now officially in the US.
Second step, you pass through customs. At that point, you're already legally 'in' the US. Customs is about property. You may or may not get an administrative customs search. If you 'fail' a customs search, you may be subject to penalties and some of your property might not be allowed into the US, but you're still already 'home' on US soil, and it 'only' took you a passport to get there.
I can see how his wording could be a bit clearer.
I don't know what happens if you try to refuse an administrative customs search, but I guess it's not too much different from trying to refuse any administrative search anywhere.