Laptop through American customs?
 

I have a flight to Newark liberty this morning and I am debating on whether I should or shouldn't take my laptop? I have flown from Dublin the last few times and honestly the immigration officers are more lax there so I have taken my laptop through there. I'm not sure about taking my laptop through Newark, I have nothing illegal on my laptop but I am not fond of the idea of my laptop being searched. I am considering putting it in the suitcase but I don't know if that is a good idea. Will putting my laptop in the suitcase avoid it being searched? Will they search it at all or are they mainly interested in getting people through? I don't want any hassle, I want to get through immigration as quick as possible.

I've never had my laptop searched. CBP aren't that great, but they generally don't do a lot of searching of things. They are just extremely rude.

You have about a one in five million chance of them being interested in your laptop. Do NOT put it in your checked luggage. First, it may get stolen. Second, it has a lithium battery.

Just pull it out and put it in a bin the way the rest of us do. They see thousands of the things every day. Yours will not be any different.

I (and countless other people) have been through customs and immigration with our laptops more times than we can count. No one has ever taken more than a half-second look at mine.

DO NOT check it. Put it in your carry on and just go through security like normal.

Bin? There are no bins at immigration. Are you thinking of security?

US Customs has not cared about computers in decades. They used to care if you tried to export them in the early/mid '80s but not any more.

Customs has never done anything that would even reveal that I have a laptop although they might have realized the bag was a laptop bag. The Ag inspectors have x-rayed our bags many times and probably identified it as a laptop--but since it doesn't look like food they have never opened the bag.

Now, if I were alone and coming from Thailand things might not be the same.

Nearly every second person I see has a laptop going through security. It's so common these days. Don't worry.

Oops. I blew it on that one. :(

What does coming alone from Thailand have anything to do with it?

Apparently American authorities don't know that Thailand is a major tourist destination for families etc.

They apparently think single males(and I'd guess with a certain appearance and/or age) coming from there are inherently suspicious.

^

And even if CBP were going to be interested in the OP's laptop, putting it in the checked bag wouldn't avoid that as one must bring all bags, including checked, through customs anyway.

First, putting your laptop in your suitcase is unlawful unless you remove its lithium battery.

Second, if CBP is going to search your laptop, it is going to do so whether your laptop is in your checked or carry-on bag.

Third, without getting into a lengthy discussion of laptop searches, the chances of a search are miniscule. Hopefully you do not have records of criminal conduct or prohibited images and the like on your hard drive as that changes the risk calculation a lot.

If you are traveling for an employer, your employer may well have a policy about what is and is not to be on your hard drive for cross-border trips.