Border Device Checks: 52,080 Searches in First Three Quarters

U.S. border officers searched 52,080 electronic devices from October 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. This figure represents a 32% increase over the same period last year, when 39,251 devices were inspected. The current pace is nearly as high as the total for fiscal year 2025, which set a previous record at 55,424 searches.

The data comes from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The agency classifies 47,517 of these inspections as basic searches. Officers can conduct these without reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. The remaining 4,564 were advanced searches, which require reasonable suspicion of unlawful activity or national security concerns. These allow officers to analyze or copy device contents.

CBP did not provide a breakdown of where these searches occurred. The agency declined to say how many took place at the Canadian border versus the Mexican border. It also withheld data on the split between airports and land crossings. Additionally, CBP did not disclose how many travelers entered the country during this period or how many searches involved U.S. citizens compared to non-citizens.

Jessica Turner, a CBP public affairs officer, noted that these searches affect a small fraction of travelers. She stated that in 2025, only 0.01% of the 419 million travelers who entered the country had their devices searched. Turner wrote that the numbers are consistent with increases seen since 2021. The agency aims 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, called for more congressional oversight. She said the government does not explain the reasons for the increase. Bhandari argued that when the government holds such power, it tends to use it to the detriment of travelers' privacy. She cited anecdotes of travelers being asked about political opinions, writing, or religious practice.

In January, CBP updated its guidelines to expand the scope of device searches. The new rules cover flash drives, SIM cards, GPS systems, unmanned aircraft, vehicle infotainment systems, and smartwatches. The update also added smuggling of narcotics, firearms, and digital contraband to the list of crimes the searches target. Bhandari said these changes altered only a few procedures at the margins.

Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, said the increase is difficult to judge without knowing the total number of crossings. She noted that the World Cup this summer may have brought a more diverse mix of visitors. Dawson also pointed to greater focus on border security and closer cooperation between Canadian and U.S. border services, including on human smuggling. She said having more scrutiny at the border is a positive in many ways.

Dawson noted that device searches remain rare despite alarming stories on social media. By her figures, one in 9,000 crossings leads to a U.S. inspection. One in 14,000 crossings leads to a search on the Canadian side. The Canada Border Services Agency says its 2026 statistics are not yet available.