52,080 Devices Searched at U.S. Borders as Privacy Experts Demand More Data

U.S. border officers inspected 52,080 electronic devices from travelers between October 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.

That total is more than 32 percent higher than the 39,251 devices searched during the same period in the previous year. The number is approaching the all-time record of 55,424 searches set in fiscal year 2025.

The rise follows a January 2026 update to agency guidelines. The new rules expanded the definition of searchable items to include flash drives, SIM cards, GPS systems, drones, vehicle infotainment systems, and smartwatches. The update also added digital contraband and transnational theft of proprietary information to the list of crimes agents can investigate.

CBP categorized 47,517 of the recent inspections as basic searches. Officers can conduct these without reasonable suspicion. Another 4,564 were advanced searches, which require reasonable suspicion of unlawful activity or a national security concern. These allow agents to analyze or copy device contents.

The agency did not break down the numbers by location or traveler status. It withheld data on how many searches occurred at the Canadian border versus the Mexican border, or at airports versus land crossings. It also did not disclose how many searches involved U.S. citizens compared to non-citizens, or the total number of travelers who entered the country during that period.

Jessica Turner, a CBP public affairs officer, said the searches affect a small fraction of travelers. She noted that in 2025, only 0.01 percent of the 419 million travelers entering the country had their devices searched. Turner wrote that the increases are consistent with trends since 2021 and aim to detect digital contraband and terrorism-related content.

Esha Bhandari, director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, argued the rise demands more congressional oversight. She stated that the government tends to use its search powers to the detriment of traveler privacy when it does not explain the reasons for increases. Bhandari said the lack of aggregate data makes it difficult to understand what is happening, citing anecdotes of travelers being questioned about political opinions or religious practice.

Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, said the increase is hard to judge without location data. She noted that the World Cup this summer may have brought a more diverse mix of visitors. Dawson calculated that one in 9,000 crossings leads to a U.S. inspection, while one in 14,000 leads to a search on the Canadian side. She said the Canada Border Services Agency has not yet released its 2026 statistics.