The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated. In order for the Fourth Amendment to apply, the individual must have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the property or area searched.House or Senate document, House or Senate report, etc. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects against arbitrary searches and seizures of people and their property, even in this expanded border area. Comments11 ; Does the Warrantless Search and Seizure of Cellphone Records Violate the Fourth Amendment? The Fourth Amendment protects U.S. citizens from illegal searches and seizures. (Source: Amendment adopted at general election November 8, 1988.) SECTION 2. Constitutions B11, R11, T10, T16. Cite the United States Constitution, 14th Amendment, Section 2. It is consistent with the history of the Fourth Amendment and with the structure of protection in the closely related area of constitutional property.