Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is facing renewed scrutiny after an internal watchdog alleged that changes to airport screening procedures created “significant” national security risks.
The report centers on Noem’s decision last summer to eliminate the long-standing requirement that most airline passengers remove their shoes during security screening.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari filed a classified report in November raising concerns about the policy change, the Wall Street Journal reported.
According to the report, TSA scanners are unable to effectively scan shoes, meaning the updated policy may introduce new vulnerabilities at airport checkpoints.
DHS officials allegedly blocked the watchdog’s filing from being released publicly and elevated its classification level, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The filing reportedly expanded on issues Cuffari said he made Noem aware of in August.
Homeland Security officials told the Wall Street Journal that Noem’s handling of the report was consistent with her approach to national security matters.
A spokesperson for DHS disputed Cuffari’s claims and said the department responded appropriately.
The spokesperson also said many of the inspector general’s recommendations had already been implemented.
Cuffari wrote in a February 17 letter to Congress that DHS and TSA had not responded to his requests to address the problem within the legally required three-month window.
He stated that he made “four recommendations for corrective action” that TSA had not engaged with.
A DHS spokesperson disputed that assertion, per the Daily Mail.
The shoe removal requirement had been in place for more than two decades following the 2001 attempted bombing by Richard Reid, known as the “Shoe Bomber.”
Under the new policy implemented in July, travelers with a federally approved REAL ID or passport are no longer required to remove their shoes during standard screening.
TSA PreCheck members have long been permitted to keep their shoes on, and the updated rule extends that courtesy to the general public under certain conditions.
DHS has said the policy shift was tied to improvements in screening technology and updated threat assessments.
The department also stated that the change was tested and risk-assessed more than a thousand times, dating back to the Biden administration.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Daily Mail that President Donald Trump “continues to have full confidence in the Secretary.”
“President Trump and Secretary Noem have ensured the most secure border in our Nation’s history and our homeland is undoubtedly safer today than it was when the President took office last year,” Leavitt said.
The Daily Mail reported that some White House officials were unaware of the inspector general’s report.
The controversy adds to recent scrutiny surrounding Noem’s tenure at DHS, including internal disputes and reports of leadership changes within Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Noem previously served as governor of South Dakota before joining President Trump’s cabinet.
