Feingold wrote to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff last week urging him to reconsider but instead, the agency provided written testimony that was late and offered "little meaningful detail on the agency’s policies and raises more questions than it answers," he said. Witnesses included tech, legal and privacy experts as well as a travel industry official and a Muslim activist.

In April, Feingold questioned Chertoff about reports that customs agents have been conducting such searches and copying the contents. Reports surfaced earlier this year that some travelers believed they were targeted because they are Muslim or of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent. "When the government looks through the contents of your laptop, is that just like looking through the contents of a suitcase… or does it raise dignity and privacy interests that are more akin to an invasive search?" he asked.