U.S. Ambassador Dismisses ‘Phone Search’ Concerns Amid Growing Canadian Unease at the Border

As tensions simmer over cross-border travel experiences, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra is pushing back on Ottawa’s warning about potential border detentions and electronic device searches, calling the concerns exaggerated and not reflective of broader U.S. policy.

“We welcome Canadians to come in and invest, to spend their hard-earned Canadian dollars at U.S. businesses,” Hoekstra told The Canadian Press. “If a Canadian has had a disappointing experience coming into the United States, I’m not denying that it happened, but I’m saying it’s an isolated event and it is not a pattern.”

His remarks come in response to a revision in Canada’s official travel advice this spring, which cautioned citizens to “expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices” when visiting the U.S. That guidance followed multiple reports of Canadians facing increased inspections, phone searches, and in some cases, detainment at U.S. border checkpoints.

Hoekstra, however, insists those incidents do not reflect systemic behavior. “Searching devices and all of that is not a well-founded fear. We don’t do that. America is a welcoming place,” he said.

While dismissing the Canadian concerns as anecdotal, Hoekstra pointed out that American travelers have also expressed frustrations when entering Canada. “I’ve heard that from Americans coming into Canada as well,” he said. “There may have been a Canadian border person who was having a bad day and thought they’d take it out on somebody across the border.”

When asked about specific cases of Americans allegedly being treated unfairly at Canadian customs, Hoekstra acknowledged that the U.S. Embassy has received some complaints. However, he characterized these incidents as rare and not indicative of deliberate policy or behavior.

In response, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) maintained that its officers are trained to act with professionalism and respect. “Treating people with respect, dignity and fairness is fundamental to our border services officers’ relationship with the public,” CBSA spokesperson Karine Martel said. “The agency investigates all complaints of mistreatment.”

The diplomatic back-and-forth arrives at a time when travel between the two countries is declining. According to Flight Centre Travel Group Canada, there was a 40% drop in cross-border flights year-over-year as of February 2025. Airlines have continued to reduce flights amid weakening demand.

Public sentiment appears to be following suit. A recent Leger survey conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies found that 52% of Canadians now feel that the U.S. is not safe for all Canadian travellers. Nearly one-third said they felt personally unwelcome across the border.

High-profile decisions by LGBTQ2S+ groups to boycott events in the U.S., including World Pride in Washington and UN events in New York, have further spotlighted the issue. These groups cited concerns about border scrutiny and the rollback of transgender and nonbinary rights under the Trump administration.

Even media figures have entered the conversation. CNN’s Christiane Amanpour recently said she brought a “burner phone” on a trip to the U.S. last month, expecting hostility—only to be surprised by a smooth experience. Hoekstra pointed to her case as evidence that perceptions often outpace reality.

“Let’s get past the rhetoric and look at the real experiences people are having here,” he said. “If you decide that you’re not going to come down, that’s your decision. But you’re missing an opportunity. There are great things to see in America.”