They never asked for the device, however.

(HuffPost has a thorough explainer here with more information on what to do if a border agent asks for your phone.)

Reflecting on his detention, Piker said he suspects it was a deliberate attempt to sow fear in the media.  

“The reason for why they’re doing that is, I think, to try to create an environment of fear,” he said. “To try to get people like myself, or at least others that would be in my shoes that don’t have that same level of security, to shut the fuck up.”

He later called it a “completely idiotic and ridiculous [tactic] not knowing that I’m a stubborn piece of shit, and that’s not going to work at all.”

A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost that Piker had been “referred for further inspection,” but said that “claims that his political belief triggered the inspection are baseless.”

“Our officers are following the law, not agendas,” CBP said in an emailed statement. “Upon entering the country, this individual was referred for further inspection — a routine, lawful process that occurs daily, and can apply for any traveler. Once his inspection was complete, he was promptly released.”

While Piker may be the highest-profile person detained by CBP on their return to the United States, he’s far from the only one.

In April, Amir Makled, a lawyer representing a pro-Palestinian student protester, was detained at the Detroit Metro Airport on his way back from a spring break trip abroad with his family.

Makled told HuffPost at the time that federal agents did seize his phone, though he stood his ground amid the 90-minute detention as he argued that, as a lawyer, his phone contained privileged work-related information.

“I don’t know if it was a fishing expedition or not,” he told HuffPost. “My gut tells me they were trying to see who I was associating with. But there’s no real way to tell.”

Piker didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.