Sen Duckworth demands TSA bring back shoes-off airport security policy

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is demanding that the Transportation Security Administration reintroduce its controversial policy requiring travelers to remove their shoes before passing through airport security checkpoints.

Duckworth called on the TSA to immediately reverse its decision to end the “no shoes” policy, calling former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision last summer to abandon the policy a “reckless act” that could put travelers in danger.

“Secretary Noem’s decision to implement a footwear policy on July 8, 2025, likely without meaningful consultation with the TSA, was a reckless act,” Duckworth wrote in a letter to Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill.

“Allowing a potentially catastrophic security breach to persist for seven months betrays TSA’s mission,” she added. “At a minimum, TSA’s failure to quickly implement corrective actions warrants the immediate withdrawal of Secretary Noem’s reckless and dangerous policy, which increases the risk that a terrorist will smuggle a dangerous item onto a flight.”

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Sen. Tammy Duckworth demanded that the TSA reinstate its policy requiring travelers to remove their shoes to go through airport security. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

This comes after a classified surveillance report revealed that TSA scanners cannot effectively screen shoes, according to CBS News. Duckworth said the inspector general reported the issue to Noem as urgent, but no action was taken.

Duckworth said the inspector general found that Noem’s policy change had “inadvertently created a new security vulnerability in the system.”

The former secretary’s failure to take corrective action after the report’s findings was “outrageous, unacceptable and dangerous to the traveling public,” Duckworth said.

The senator says the TSA’s lack of response could violate federal law, writing that the agency failed to meet the legally required 90-day deadline to outline corrective actions after receiving the watchdog’s report.

“Such inaction violates federal law, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance, and DHS’s own guidance,” Duckworth wrote.

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Sen. Tammy Duckworth called former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision last summer to abandon the policy a “reckless act” that could put travelers in danger. (Rebecca Blackwell / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

The previous policy requiring passengers to remove their shoes during TSA screening was implemented in 2006.

The senator wrote that Noem’s policy shift reflected a “willingness to put the security of the American people at stake,” calling it a “resounding failure of leadership.”

“We hope this change will significantly reduce passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience,” she said at the time. “As always, security remains our top priority. With our industry-leading technological advancements and multi-layered security approach, we are confident we can implement this change while maintaining the highest security standards.”

Duckworth accused Noem, who was removed from office by President Donald Trump last month and replaced by current DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, of prioritizing politics over security.

The previous policy requiring passengers to remove their shoes to go through TSA screening was implemented in 2006. (iStock)

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The senator wrote that Noem’s policy shift reflected a “willingness to put the security of the American people at stake,” calling it a “resounding failure of leadership.”

“Secretary Noem’s willingness to risk the security of the American people in a failed attempt to bolster her popularity was, and remains, a resounding failure of leadership, particularly after President Trump’s decision to launch an unconstitutional war against Iran that DHS said was ‘causing an increased threat environment in the United States,’” she wrote.