Head of the Canadian Border Agency: Crossing the border with America is not more difficult than before despite increased device inspections

Ottawa —
Canadian Border Services Agency head Irene Ugurman said she does not believe crossing the Canada-US border has become more difficult than before, despite growing concerns among travelers about the inspection of phones and electronic devices by US authorities.

Ugurman explained that thousands of people cross daily between Canada and the United States via land crossings and airports, noting that the flow of crossings continues normally.

However, she admitted that she has heard individual accounts of US officials inspecting the phones of Canadian travelers upon entering the United States.

Her statements come at a time when data from US Customs and Border Protection showed that the number of electronic device inspections reached a record level last year.

The inspections included devices such as mobile phones, computers, smartwatches, SIM cards, and portable storage units, following updated US guidelines on what can be inspected at the border.

According to the numbers, US officials inspected 55,318 devices in 2025, compared to 47,047 devices in 2024, and 41,767 devices in 2023.

US authorities do not disclose whether these inspections took place at the northern border with Canada or the southern border with Mexico, nor do they distribute the numbers between airports and land crossings.

The Canadian government had updated travel guidelines to the United States, urging Canadians to expect a level of scrutiny at the border, and reminding that US border officials have broad authority to determine who is allowed to enter the country.

The numbers highlight a new reality for travelers, where inspections are no longer limited to luggage and documents but now include digital devices that may contain sensitive personal and professional information.