U.S. customs phone and laptop searches up 32%: what it means at the bridge and tunnel

Crossing into Detroit? U.S. customs searched more than 52,000 phones, laptops and other devices in the first 9 months of its 2026 fiscal year, up more than 32%. What that means at the bridge or tunnel, and why it's still rare:

Topics: CommunityRoads and transit

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U.S. border officers are searching more travellers' phones and laptops, and that matters in a city where crossing to Detroit is part of daily life.

The news

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) searched 52,081 electronic devices from Oct. 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, the first three quarters of its 2026 fiscal year, according to CBP's own quarterly figures. In the same months a year earlier, it searched 39,251. That's an increase of more than 32%. CBC News first reported the increase on Oct. 23, 2026.

That total includes 47,517 basic searches and 4,564 advanced searches.

Basic search: an officer looks through the device by hand, without connecting equipment. No suspicion is needed.

Advanced search: an officer connects equipment to copy or analyze the device's contents. CBP policy requires reasonable suspicion of a violation or a national security concern, and a senior manager's approval.

What it means for you

Only what's on the device: CBP says a border search covers information stored on the device itself. Officers may not use the device to reach data stored only remotely, such as in the cloud. They disable network connections first, or ask the traveller to put the device in airplane mode.

Passcodes: CBP says travellers must present devices in a condition that allows them to be examined. If a passcode or encryption prevents that, the device may be detained.

If you're not a U.S. citizen: CBP says it may consider a refusal to make a device available when deciding whether to admit a foreign national. A U.S. citizen won't be denied entry for that reason, though the device may still be held.

Still rare

CBP says fewer than 0.01% of arriving international travellers had a device searched in its 2025 fiscal year. CBP did not give CBC a breakdown by border, airport or land crossing, and its public figures are national totals only, so there's no number for the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

This is general information, not legal advice.