DHS ends controversial and ‘politicized’ Quiet Skies air passenger surveillance program

DHS Ends Controversial Quiet Skies Program, Citing Cost and Abuse

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on June 5 that it is shutting down its Quiet Skies surveillance program, a covert initiative aimed at monitoring airline passengers. The department cited the program’s failure to prevent any terrorist attacks and its high cost—reportedly $200 million annually to U.S. taxpayers—as primary reasons for termination.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem condemned the program, calling it politically compromised and misused for partisan purposes.

“It is clear that the Quiet Skies program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden Administration—weaponized against its political foes and exploited to benefit their well-heeled friends,” Noem said in a statement. “I am calling for a Congressional investigation to unearth further corruption at the expense of the American people and the undermining of U.S. national security.”

Noem emphasized that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will retain its core mission, focusing strictly on aviation security and threat prevention. She added that the Trump Administration intends to restore the TSA’s integrity and ensure the privacy and equal treatment of all Americans.

Quiet Skies first came to public attention in 2018 through a report by The Boston Globe, which revealed that federal air marshals were assigned to discreetly monitor travelers deemed suspicious—based on behavior such as fidgeting or maintaining a penetrating stare. Critics have long argued that such vague criteria open the door to profiling and discrimination.

Civil liberties advocates and members of Congress have voiced concerns for years, arguing that the program lacked transparency and accountability, and may have disproportionately targeted individuals based on race, religion, or political views.

In May 2025, the program faced renewed scrutiny when Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, disclosed that the TSA had monitored Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard during the 2024 election season. Paul and other Republicans decried the action as politically motivated.

Further controversy erupted when DHS alleged that Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, had improperly pressured TSA to remove her husband, William “Billy” Shaheen, from enhanced screening protocols. DHS claimed he had traveled with a “known or suspected terrorist.”

However, reporting by the USA TODAY Network revealed a different story. Immigration attorney Celine Atallah identified herself as the unnamed co-traveler and dismissed the allegations. “I am a U.S. citizen, a licensed attorney, a law-abiding American, and Billy Shaheen’s legal co-counsel,” Atallah said, emphasizing that the flagging was baseless.

Despite efforts to defend the program, its dismantling marks a significant rollback in post-9/11 security practices. The TSA will continue its standard security operations, but Quiet Skies, as a specialized surveillance effort, has officially been grounded.