Archie Niari, reporting for CTV News:
Toronto-based lawyer Joel Sandaluk said U.S. border officers have had broad authority to examine electronic devices for a long time, but the practice has become more common.
“It’s not new. This was the change in policy from the U.S. border officers from January of 2026. It allowed for broader powers to search electronic devices like cell phones, laptops, anything of that nature, and it no longer requires that there be any kind of reasonable suspicion.”
Sandaluk added the increased use of those powers is something immigration lawyers now warn clients about before they travel. He said searches can happen at a land border, or at a Canadian airport where U.S. customs and immigration processing takes place before a traveller boards a flight.