Non-U.S. travellers most targeted in U.S. border device checks

International passengers arrive at Miami international Airport where they are screened by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

A growing number of phones, computers and other devices are being searched by American customs officials this year, in a trend that the U.S. government says only affects a small fraction of travellers.

The latest data show that between April and July 2025, officers working for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) conducted searches of 14,899 electronic devices, including 1,075 “advanced” searches.

That total is higher than in any single quarter in the available data since late 2018, and nearly double the 8,000 searches conducted during the same time in that fiscal year, CBP data show.

The agency’s website describes device searches as “rare,” impacting just 0.01 per cent of the more than 400 million passengers who arrived at ports of entry last fiscal year. Non-U.S. citizens made up roughly 78 per cent of those subjected to device searches during that time.

“Despite the fact that all merchandise and persons crossing the border, both inbound and outbound, are subject to inspection by CBP, the number of travelers crossing the border whose electronic devices are actually searched is small,” it reads.

‘Judiciously and responsibly’

Searches typically involve an officer manually perusing the contents of a device, not including any information that is stored remotely. Mobile data, WiFi and other connections are disabled before a search begins, CBP notes.

In cases where there is “reasonable suspicion of a violation of law … or a national security concern,” border agents may conduct an advanced search, which uses external equipment to “review, copy, and/or analyze” a device’s contents.

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In the past two fiscal years, between nine and 10 per cent of all searches have been advanced, on average.

CBP says that all travellers are obligated to “present their electronic devices and the information resident on the device in a condition that allows for the examination,” if asked. Failure to comply, such as by withholding a passcode or fingerprint, does not automatically disqualify a foreign national from entry to the United States, though the agency says the device may be taken into custody anyway, and noncompliance may factor into the final decision to allow or deny entry.

“CBP has established strict guidelines, above and beyond prevailing legal requirements, to ensure that these searches are exercised judiciously and responsibly and are consistent with the public trust,” its FAQ reads. “Admissibility determinations are made based on the totality of the circumstances.”

Traveller concerns

Phone searches and other additional screening at U.S. borders have sparked concerns in recent months amid the Trump administration’s renewed scrutiny on immigration.

In April, Canada updated its travel advisory for the United States, warning that visitors should “expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices.”

“Comply and be forthcoming in all interactions with border authorities,” the advisory reads. “If you are denied entry, you could be detained while awaiting deportation.”

According to CBP, searching devices helps to uncover a variety of criminal activity, including terrorism, child exploitation, human and drug trafficking, smuggling and illegal immigration, as well as “additional information relevant to admissibility of foreign nationals under U.S. immigration laws.”

But some have raised fears that criminality isn’t the only factor to cause issues at the border.

In March, a French scientist on his way to Houston was turned away following a search of his smartphone and laptop. The issue, according to one French cabinet minister, arose out of messages found on the phone that referenced “his political opinion on the policies of the Trump administration.”

In an interview with CTV News earlier this year, Vancouver immigration lawyer Cindy Switzer warned of the power that border agents wield.

“The issue is that border officers have full discretion in order to grant somebody admission,” she said. “They can deny somebody admission for any reason.”

With flies from CTV News Vancouver’s Ben Miljure and AFP