CBP Moves 276 Applications to Cloud by 2028

Customs and Border Protection's chief information officer outlined the agency's technology modernization push at a Washington summit.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Immigration

Isometric editorial illustration of rows of server racks and cable bundles in a long concrete data hall, rendered in muted slate, teal, and oxblood. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to move all 276 of its applications to the cloud by January 20, 2028, its chief information officer said. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Customs and Border Protection Chief Information Officer Sonny Bhagowalia described the agency's technology modernization efforts at the Potomac Officers Club's 2026 FedCiv Summit. CBP plans to migrate its 276 applications to the cloud by January 20, 2028.

Why it matters

The agency says modernization is needed to support its 24/7/365 mission and to counter AI-powered cyber attacks. The effort reaches across national border security operations nationwide.

CBP's annual technology portfolio totals $2.5 billion across 276 applications at 1,744 locations and over 100,000 assets. The Automated Commercial Environment, which handles $5.7 trillion in annual imports and exports, is 86 percent migrated to the cloud at the application tier, while the agency's remaining migration timeline is not detailed in the source.

The players

Sonny Bhagowalia

Sonny Bhagowalia is the chief information officer of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, responsible for the agency's technology portfolio and modernization efforts.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a Department of Homeland Security component responsible for border security, customs enforcement and the handling of international trade and travel.

The details

Bhagowalia said CBP has developed an AI-powered, mobile, voice-activated chat-and-search function that lets personnel obtain information at any time, and the agency's translation app currently supports 250 languages with automatic language detection planned for 2026. CBP is also working with its chief AI officer on responsible AI use policies covering more than 80 use cases.

Oct. 29, 2026: Bhagowalia spoke at the FedCiv Summit.
2026: CBP translation app adds automatic language detection.
Nov. 10, 2026: Bhagowalia gives a keynote at the Homeland Security Summit.
Jan. 20, 2028: Target date for migrating all 276 applications to the cloud.

Roadmap

CBP's cloud migration is funded in part by the $191 billion the Department of Homeland Security received under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 for national and border security. The agency's push to counter AI-powered cyber attacks places its modernization within the broader federal response to AI-driven threats.

The modernization affects how border and customs personnel access information from mobile devices around the clock. Travelers and businesses dealing with CBP may see changes as the agency's translation tools and cloud-hosted systems expand.

The takeaway

Federal border agencies are investing heavily in AI and cloud infrastructure to keep pace with 24/7 operational demands and evolving cyber threats. Readers following immigration policy should watch how these technology investments affect border processing in the coming years.

What happens next

CBP's translation app is slated to add automatic language detection in 2026, and the agency is targeting full cloud operation of its 276 applications by January 20, 2028.