IANAL either, but the author seems to have missed the point of the "I don’t know my password it is in a password manager which I can’t access" one (or, indeed,

IANAL either, but the author seems to have missed the point of the "I don’t know my password it is in a password manager which I can’t access" one (or, indeed, the blank device — but this one has numerous advantages). Yes, this will piss off CBP and they will punish you for it, and especially I wouldn't recommend it if you're not a US citizen but are desirous of entering the US. But if you're a US citizen, CBP isn't about to risk their position in court: they will not detain you indefinitely for noncompliance especially when you have an entirely plausible (and true!) explanation for your inability to comply.