Serious responses only, and please don't be nasty.

I'm planning to travel outside the US to Honduras for a family wedding. I'm nervous about coming back to the US with all this craziness going on. I'm US born. My parents became citizens in the 90s. I'm ethnically Palestinian. I don't look white. My daughter is fair skinned. My husband is white. I never changed my last name. I've heard horror stories about American citizens getting detained at the border, even one who was jailed (cont below)

I'm not sure that it's necessary to inform your employer at this stage. Your fear is valid but the news hasn't done a great job at disclosing how frequently this is happening. The stories that make headlines could be one-offs and may not be an accurate representation of why and how often this is happening. Keep in mind that the news (regardless of their political slant) need attention-grabbing stories and headlines to make money and fear-mongering makes money.

That being said, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. I'd suggest speaking with an attorney in your area to ensure you're prepared in the event that the worst should happen. Know your rights and what your husband/daughter can do to help you if you're separated and detained. I'd also ask about the cell phone issue. I know news stories have been popping up claiming that TSA is going through people's phones and plugging their phones into machines without explanation. Americans are now turning off face unlock features and wiping their phones before going through security. That may be something to consider, especially if you use your cell phone for work.

If the worst should happen, keep in mind that you're also traveling with other people who would have an easier time passing through customs and would be able to alert your employer. Just make sure your husband and daughter have the necessary contact information.

I’d tell someone that you are traveling (to where) just so it’s on someone’s radar that there may be problems. I’d even jokingly mention that “I hope nothing happens with all that is going on now!”

I have had this same concern and this is the advice I’ve gotten. This way it’s on an important person’s radar, but not necessarily “blown out of proportion.”

Not that you should need to, but I would consider bringing copies of additional documents that could be helpful: birth certificate, wedding license, bar card, etc. My sense is that this overreach is not necessarily common, but that there are not currently strong guardrails (or repurcussions) against individual TSA personnel being racist or going outside normal guidelines. I do think the phone concern is valid and that might be worth mentioning to your employer. If you will need your work phone or laptop while on your trip, many firms will provide “clean” loaners you can use while traveling (my firm used to do this for trips to certain parts of China).

Should I tell my job that I could be detained under these circumstances and give them my information for where I will be traveling? I'm nervous. I also don't want to live in fear but I feel like these are real possibilities.

I wasn't born in the US and am traveling the next couple weeks to Asia. I'll keep you posted if that helps any?

My husband is not white (also an immigrant) and neither are our kids.

Definitely don’t involve your employer, that’s weird.

If you’re concerned, consult with an immigration lawyer (I can make a referral), and ask them to advise you on best practices for re-entering and your game plan if there’s an issue.

Hopefully, you won’t need it, and I would be shocked if you do. But it sounds like a short consult and having a plan would give you peace of mind if nothing else. And you’ll have someone to contact immediately if anything happens.

Your fears are absolutely valid, but I also echo that the chances of an issue are very slim, just not none. I would make sure you have all contact information you could potentially need - any emergency numbers, if you do have a personal attorney, etc. Second the advice to travel with all possible documentation - passport, birth certificate, marriage license, etc.

As for work matters, depending on your firm, it might be good to give them a heads up of your travel plans and ask if they have any guidance or policies for travel to that region or how to deal with customs/TSA. I’m in biglaw and our firm has set guidance on how to handle things if security tries to access your laptop. We’re supposed to inform them that you are an attorney and that the laptop contains confidential client information and is subject to attorney-client privilege. If they still insist on unlocking it, then we have an emergency number for our GC’s office to consult. Perhaps also consider bringing your physical bar card in case they try to say they don’t believe you’re an attorney.

I nearly had to invoke this in a recent trip to Mexico - security going into MX had me open the laptop and power it on. I did not go past the lock screen though and they said I could go. Figure they were just checking that it was a functional laptop. But that is the last time I’ll leave the country without that GC emergency number on me. I was about 30 seconds away from panic-texting coworkers to send me the number. 😅

Yes. My mother is several types of white but has darker features from her Romani maternal grandfather. 40-50 years ago but she was detained at the border after her honeymoon in Mexico because I guess her anglo last name was stripped from her records upon marriage and only her first and middle name came up, which made her seem latina? I believe she and my dad were questioned for hours before being let go. Regardless of political context, this silliness happens… and now more than ever, it is a possibility. You might write a brief note to your employer with the concern and say your husband will contact them if anything happens.

Could you be detained? Yes. Is it likely? No. Hopefully the media is just overhyping the handful that have occurred to verifiable citizens.

I’m assuming you have a valid US passport. You didn’t share about your social media, potential public-facing activism against particular countries, but assuming you don’t have public facing information about that, you’ll be fine. If you do, you might be questioned but they will not deny entry to the US for an American.

Respectfully how would anyone know you’re ethnically Palestinian unless you tell them? You’re U.S. born with a U.S. passport traveling with two fair skinned people from a Latin American country.

I think you’ll be fine. You definitely shouldn’t tell your job that you might be detained unless you want to hear that you shouldn’t go.