The CBP’s data shows that there has been an uptick of phone and electronics searches over the past decade, throughout various administrations. According to the agency’s statistics, which are published using the fiscal year running from October to September, there were 8,503 searches in 2015. By 2018, this figure had risen to 33,296 device searches, and the last full year of data available, the fiscal year 2024, there were 46,362 searches.
The latest quarterly statistics for the past three months of 2025 show 13,824 “basic” searches and 1,075 “advanced” searches. Basic searches can involve a border agent manually scrolling through someone’s phone and inspecting its contents. This means an agent may be able to find some information on a device but may not have the time or ability to conduct a deep inspection of what is included in messages or buried in photo reels. Meanwhile, advanced searches involve a much more intrusive approach: connecting forensics tools to the device to extract huge reams of data. Despite the spike in overall device searches, the number of advanced searches has remained relatively steady over the past 21 months.
Most searches at the U.S. border are “basic searches”, where a border agent compels you to give up your password. There is still a substantial number of “advanced searches” where forensics tools like Cellebrite are used.
It’s insane that there were only 8,000 or so searches conducted back in 2015 though. Shame how this is becoming increasingly normalized nowadays.
At first I thought they’re probably targeting foreigners more than US citizens, but then I recalled that the number of foreign travelers has dropped since the start of the year.
It could be a mix of both. Foreigners (or rather, legal residents with visas) are increasingly being targeted by these searches so a lot of folks are scared off. US citizens are still allowed to say no at the cost of being held up longer at border control.
Anyone entering the US—from citizens to temporary visa holders—can potentially have their phones or electronics searched by CBP staff. Across the country, border zones typically fall outside of Fourth Amendment protections that require warrants for devices to be searched by officials. On its website, the CBP says that people should present their devices “in a condition that allows for the examination of the device and its contents.” In short, that means unlocked and potentially giving the password to border agents.
If a US citizen or green card holder refuses a search, they cannot—at least in theory—be denied entry to the country. However, their devices may be seized temporarily, and they could be subject to extra questioning. Foreign visitors can face detention or deportation for refusing a search.