Small check-cashing counters, grocery stores and money-wiring shops along the U.S.-Mexico border have generated 700,000 currency transaction reports for the federal government since Washington dramatically lowered the dollar amount that triggers mandatory reporting in their neighborhoods. A partially redacted internal memo obtained by the Guardian shows that as of February 23, 2026, 86 businesses were still filing under the requirement — a rule that turns an ordinary cash sale into a federal paper trail complete with a customer's Social Security number and home address.
