Although I wouldn't counsel you to distrust the news and cross the border unprepared (and I'd also point out that I have the advantage of dual citizenship, along with all my white privilege, class privilege, etc.), I also feel vaguely compelled to point out that I actually had my easiest ever border crossing last Wednesday:

The guard asked me where I live, and I said Toronto, and then he asked me if I was bringing anything into the country with me, and I told him that I was bringing some of my friend's mail because my friend used to live in Toronto too, and then he just told me to go ahead.

I think that being told to go ahead was because my answer about the mail preemptively answered his likely next question (what I was entering the States for), and once he was thrown off-script, he kinda got confused and just kinda defaulted to "white, citizen; pass".

I found it particularly odd, since the fact that the friend that I was visiting is a monk, usually creates a little extra confusion that prompts additional questions. As an example, in my immediate preceding visit, the border guard asked me what I do for a living, and when I told him that I work in financial technology he asked me (very) incredulously "and you're taking the bus?!?" I then explained that since I was going to be spending the next few days at a monastery, a more austere mode of transportation seemed appropriate.