U.S. court ruling allows warrantless phone searches at the border

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled on Sept. 17 that border officers can search travellers' phones without a warrant, probable cause or even reasonable suspicion. In 2025, officers searched 55,424 devices out of 419 million international travellers.

• Second Circuit allows warrantless phone searches at the border
• 55,424 devices searched out of 419 million travellers in 2025
• Refusing a search can mean device seizure or denied entry
• Canadian trips to the U.S. fell 25.4% in 2025