DHS watchdog warned of risks in airport shoes-off policy. The report got buried. [View all]
Source: CBS News
Updated on: March 25, 2026 / 1:42 PM EDT / CBS News
An internal watchdog report in the Department of Homeland Security identified serious vulnerabilities in TSA's screenings at airports nationwide, among them, one created by a change in the shoes-off policy — and the agency has yet to respond five months later, according to internal communications provided to House Homeland Security Committee staff and reviewed by CBS News. Airports nationwide are in disarray amid Congress' failure to approve DHS funding, with TSA agents having gone without pay for 40 days.
"Red team" warnings, real-world stakes
After a classified inspector general audit deployed "red team" testing of airport checkpoints — undercover audits in which investigators attempt to slip simulated weapons or explosives past screeners — investigators raised serious concerns about vulnerabilities in TSA screening procedures.
Investigators questioned if a politically popular 2025 policy change allowing passengers to keep their shoes on during screening may have outpaced the technology's ability to detect threats concealed in footwear.
DHS top watchdog undercuts Noem's sworn testimony
During previous sworn testimony, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told lawmakers that "all of the recommendations" in the inspector general's report had already been implemented. But in a March 4 memo to TSA leadership, Inspector General Joseph Cuffari made clear his office has received no evidence — written or oral — to support that claim.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-report-vulnerabilities-screenings-dhs/
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