US Border Device Searches Surpass 52,000

U.S. border officers searched 52,080 digital devices between October 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.

The figure represents a 32 percent increase over the same period last year, when 39,251 devices were examined. This total is close to the record 55,424 searches conducted in all of fiscal year 2025, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The agency classified 47,517 of these inspections as basic searches. Officers can perform these without reasonable suspicion. The remaining 4,564 were advanced searches, which allow officers to analyze or copy device contents if they suspect unlawful activity or national security threats. CBP did not specify how many searches occurred at the Canadian border versus the Mexican border, nor did it break down the numbers by airports and land crossings.

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

Privacy advocates raised concerns about the lack of transparency. Esha Bhandari, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, said the government rarely explains the reasons for such increases. She argued that the state tends to use its powers to the detriment of traveler privacy. Bhandari pointed to anecdotal reports of travelers being questioned about their political opinions, writing, or religious practices. She also noted that CBP updated its guidelines in January to include flash drives, SIM cards, and smart watches in the scope of searches.

Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, suggested that the rise in numbers may be influenced by the World Cup held this summer, which brought a diverse mix of visitors. She also cited closer cooperation between Canadian and U.S. border services on issues like human smuggling. Dawson emphasized that device searches remain rare, estimating that one in 9,000 crossings leads to a U.S. inspection.

Canadian officials have searched a smaller share of devices than their U.S. counterparts in recent years, with numbers trending downward. The Canada Border Services Agency has not yet released its 2026 statistics, but Dawson noted that one in 14,000 crossings leads to a search on the Canadian side.