Border agents searched more phones and laptops this year than in 2025
CBP data show a 32 percent jump in inspections, with 47,517 basic searches conducted without reasonable suspicion.
By Harper Foster ·
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspected 52,080 electronic devices at the border during the first three quarters of the 2026 fiscal year. The count represents a 32 percent increase over the same period in 2025, when agents searched 39,251 devices. The pace of inspections now approaches the all-time high set in fiscal 2025, when 55,424 devices were examined.
The data covers the period from October 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. CBP categorized 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. Advanced searches allow officers to analyze or copy the contents of the device.
Jessica Turner, a CBP public affairs officer, noted that the rise in searches is consistent with trends since 2021. She stated that only 0.01 percent of the 419 million travelers who entered the country in 2025 had their devices searched. Turner said the inspections aim to detect digital contraband, terrorism-related content, and information relevant to admissibility.
The agency did not specify how many searches occurred at the Canadian border versus the Mexican border. It also withheld data on whether inspections happened at airports or land crossings. CBP did not release figures on the total number of travelers or the breakdown between U.S. citizens and non-citizens. These details are typically included in annual reports.
Esha Bhandari, director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, said the government’s lack of explanation for the increase makes it difficult to analyze the reasons. She argued that when the government holds a power, it tends to use it to the detriment of travelers’ privacy. Bhandari cited anecdotes of travelers being asked about political opinions, writing, or religious practice. She called for more congressional oversight and accountability.
In January, CBP updated its guidelines to include flash drives, SIM cards, GPS systems, drones, vehicle infotainment systems, and smart watches as items subject to search. The update also added smuggling of narcotics, firearms, and transnational theft of proprietary information to the list of detectable crimes. Bhandari described these changes as procedural adjustments at the margins. She suggested the rise in searches may reflect technological advances and a failure of federal courts to limit government authority.
Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, said it is hard to judge the increase without knowing where the searches occurred. She noted that the World Cup this summer may have brought a diverse mix of visitors. Dawson pointed to greater focus on border security and closer cooperation between Canadian and U.S. border services. She said that for every 9,000 crossings, one leads to a U.S. inspection, and for every 14,000 crossings, one leads to a search on the Canadian side.
