Senator Duckworth Calls for Immediate Return of Airport Shoe Removal Policy

Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) has issued a formal demand for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to reinstate its long-standing requirement that travelers remove their shoes during airport security screenings, calling the policy’s cancellation a significant security risk.

In a strongly worded letter to Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, Duckworth characterized former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s July 2025 decision to end the nearly 20-year policy as “reckless” and potentially dangerous.

“Allowing a potentially catastrophic security deficiency to remain in place for seven months and counting betrays TSA’s mission,” Duckworth wrote. “At a minimum, TSA’s failure to swiftly implement corrective action warrants the immediate withdrawal of Secretary Noem’s reckless and dangerous policy that increases the risk of a terrorist smuggling a dangerous item onto a flight.”

The senator’s concerns appear to be supported by a classified watchdog report that, according to CBS News, found TSA scanners are incapable of effectively screening shoes for potential threats. Duckworth revealed that an inspector general had flagged the issue as urgent to Noem, but claimed no corrective action followed.

The shoe removal requirement, implemented in 2006 following the 2001 attempted “shoe bombing” by Richard Reid on an American Airlines flight, has been a familiar, if inconvenient, part of air travel security protocol for nearly two decades. Noem’s decision to end the practice last summer was promoted as a passenger convenience measure.

When announcing the policy shift, Noem said, “We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience.” She had assured the public that “thanks to our cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach, we are confident we can implement this change while maintaining the highest security standards.”

Duckworth’s letter challenges not only the security implications but also questions the legality of TSA’s inaction. She argues the agency violated federal law by missing a required 90-day deadline to outline corrective actions after receiving the watchdog report. “Such inaction violates Federal law, Office of Management and Budget guidance and DHS’s own directives,” she wrote.

The controversy emerges against the backdrop of heightened security concerns. Duckworth referenced President Trump’s recent military actions against Iran as creating what DHS itself has determined to be “a heightened threat environment in the United States,” suggesting this makes the timing of relaxed security protocols particularly problematic.

Noem was removed from her position at DHS last month by President Trump and replaced by current Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Duckworth’s letter suggests Noem’s decision was politically motivated rather than security-focused, writing that it reflected a “willingness to gamble the American people’s security” and represented a “stunning failure of leadership.”

The debate highlights the perpetual tension in aviation security between passenger convenience and safety protocols. The TSA has faced criticism in the past for both excessive screening measures and potential security gaps, making any significant policy change subject to intense scrutiny from lawmakers and security experts.

Neither the TSA nor former Secretary Noem have issued formal responses to Duckworth’s demands. The agency now faces pressure to either defend the current “shoes-on” policy with evidence of adequate security measures or reinstate the previous requirement that passengers remove footwear during screening.

For the millions of Americans who travel by air regularly, the outcome of this security debate could determine whether they continue enjoying the convenience of keeping their shoes on or return to the familiar routine of removing them at checkpoint lines across the nation’s airports.