Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem created “significant” security risks at U.S. airports by permitting passengers to proceed through security checkpoints with their shoes on, according to a new report.
The no-shoes rule was instituted nationwide by the Transportation Security Administration in 2006, after a British man attempted to blow up an American Airlines plane with explosives concealed in his footwear.
In July, Noem scrapped the rule, putting an end to a policy that had long frustrated travelers and was seen by many Americans as ineffective.
But in November, a classified report by the inspector general at DHS concluded that some full-body scanners operated by TSA are incapable of screening shoes, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
The report found that Noem’s reversal of the decades-old policy had “inadvertently created a new security vulnerability in the system.”
When Noem’s office was informed of the findings, it reportedly didn’t take action to remedy it. Instead, the office prohibited it from being published and increased its level of classification, sources told the WSJ.
A DHS spokesperson disputed this account, telling the outlet that the inspector general’s recommendations had been implemented. They added that the no-shoes rule was tossed only after numerous risk assessments, some of which were done during the Biden administration.
The Independent has reached out to DHS for comment.
The report was also brought to the attention of several White House officials. When reached by the WSJ, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump retains total confidence in Noem.
“Our homeland is undoubtedly safer today than it was when the president took office last year,” Leavitt added.
While the report was not published, the DHS inspector general wrote a letter to members of Congress stating that, as of February, the department and TSA had not answered requests to address the apparent security lapse. It noted that the department was legally bound to create a plan to remedy the issue by January 30 — three months after the report was filed.
The inspector general stated in the letter that he first informed Noem of the security concern in August, the WSJ reported.
“I am writing to make you—the chairs and ranking members of the committees with primary jurisdiction over the Transportation Security Agency (TSA)—aware of an unresolved oversight matter with significant safety and security implications for the traveling public,” the letter stated. “My office has advanced this issue as far as we are able, yet the findings and recommendations have not been addressed despite our best efforts.”
The letter noted that the inspector general’s office has given “four recommendations for corrective action,” and that TSA had not responded to them.
The report — and Noem’s response — comes as the secretary faces growing scrutiny over her management style.
DHS officials have claimed that Noem’s focus on maintaining her public profile has at times come at the expense of the department’s primary responsibilities, according to the WSJ.
At the same time, the department she oversees has faced criticism over the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, which resulted in two fatal shootings of American citizens by federal agents.
