Border officers search 52,080 traveler devices as annual count nears record

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers searched 52,080 electronic devices between October 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. That total represents a 32 percent increase over the same period in the previous year, when 39,251 devices were inspected. The pace puts the agency on track to approach the all-time record of 55,424 searches completed in fiscal 2025.

CBP data shows that 47,517 of these inspections were basic searches. Officers can conduct basic searches without reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. An additional 4,564 were advanced searches, which allow officers to analyze or copy device contents when they have reasonable suspicion of unlawful activity or national security concerns.

The agency did not specify how many searches occurred at the Canadian border versus the Mexican border. It also did not break down the counts by airport or land crossing. CBP withheld details on the total number of travelers entering the country during this period and the split between U.S. citizens and non-citizens. These metrics are typically included in annual reports.

Jessica Turner, a CBP public affairs officer, stated that device searches affect a small fraction of the 419 million travelers who entered the country in 2025. She noted that only 0.01 percent of travelers had their devices searched on a year-over-year basis. Turner wrote that the searches aim to detect digital contraband, terrorism-related content, and information relevant to admissibility.

Esha Bhandari, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, argued that the rise requires more congressional oversight. She said the government does not explain the reasons for the increase, making it difficult to speculate on causes. Bhandari stated that when the government holds such power, it tends to use it to the detriment of travelers' privacy. She described the anecdotes her group hears, including travelers being asked about political opinions or religious practice, as certainly troubling.

In January, CBP updated its guidelines to include flash drives, SIM cards, GPS systems, unmanned aircraft systems, vehicle infotainment systems, and smart watches under the definition of searchable devices. The update also added smuggling of narcotics, firearms, transnational theft of proprietary information, and digital contraband to the list of targeted crimes. Bhandari said these changes altered only a few procedures at the margins. She suggested the increase may reflect advances in technology and the failure of federal courts to limit government authority.

Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, said it is difficult to judge the increase without knowing where searches occurred or how many people crossed. She noted that searches also happen at seaports and airports. Dawson pointed to the World Cup this summer as a factor that may have brought a more diverse mix of visitors. She also cited greater focus on border security and closer cooperation between Canadian and U.S. border services, particularly regarding human smuggling and the Ryan Wedding case.

Dawson said device searches remain rare despite alarming stories circulating on social media. By her figures, one in 9,000 crossings leads to a U.S. inspection, and one in 14,000 leads to a search on the Canadian side. Canadian officials have searched a much smaller share of devices than their U.S. counterparts in recent years, and those numbers have been falling. The Canada Border Services Agency said its 2026 statistics are not yet available.