U.S. border agents searched 52,080 traveler devices in first nine months

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents inspected 52,080 electronic devices belonging to travelers between October 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. This figure represents a 32 percent increase from the 39,251 devices searched during the same period in the previous fiscal year.

The nine-month total approaches the previous annual record of 55,424 searches set in fiscal 2025. CBP officials stated that the increase is consistent with trends observed since 2021. The agency conducts these inspections to detect digital contraband, terrorism-related content, and information relevant to admissibility.

CBP classified 47,517 of the inspections as basic searches. Officers may conduct basic searches without reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. The remaining 4,564 were advanced searches, which require reasonable suspicion of unlawful activity or a national security concern. Advanced searches allow officers to analyze or copy the contents of the device.

The agency declined to provide a breakdown of where these searches occurred. CBP did not specify how many took place at the Canadian border versus the Mexican border, or how they divided between airports and land crossings. The agency also withheld data on the total number of travelers entering the country and the citizenship status of the individuals searched.

Jessica Turner, a CBP public affairs officer, stated that the searches affect a small fraction of the 419 million travelers who entered the country in 2025. In an emailed response, Turner noted that year-over-year, only 0.01 percent of travelers have their devices searched.

Esha Bhandari, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, said the rise in inspections calls for greater congressional oversight. She noted that it is difficult to determine the reasons for the increase because the government does not explain them. Bhandari argued that when the government holds a power, it tends to use it to the detriment of travelers' privacy.

Bhandari said the aggregate data makes it hard to understand what is happening at the border. She cited anecdotes from her group as troubling, including instances where travelers were asked about political opinions, writing, or religious practice. She suggested the increase may reflect advances in technology and the failure of federal courts to limit the government's authority.

In January, CBP updated its guidelines to expand the definition of searchable devices. The new rules include flash drives, SIM cards, GPS systems, unmanned aircraft systems, vehicle infotainment systems, and smart watches. The update also added smuggling of narcotics, firearms, transnational theft of proprietary information, and digital contraband to the list of crimes the searches target.

Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, said the increase is hard to judge without knowing the specific locations and total crossing numbers. 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 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 crossings 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 the Canada Border Services Agency says its 2026 statistics are not yet available.