Trump administration ends TSA’s ‘Quiet Skies’ program used to surveil Americans

The Trump administration confirmed reports it will shutter the TSA's Quiet Skies program

The program was used to secretly surveil Americans deemed national security risks since 2012

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision Thursday on X

I'm announcing that TSA is ending the Quiet Skies program, which involved having a federal agent follow U.S. citizens as they traveled by air

Noem says the decision was made because the administration believes it is ineffective and the move will save taxpayers millions of dollars

And since its existence, it has failed to stop a single terrorist attack, while it cost U.S. taxpayers roughly about $200 million a year

She also accused the Biden administration of weaponizing the program. And this program, under the guise of national security, has targeted political opponents and benefited political allies of the Biden administration

Noem also vowed to launch an internal investigation and called for Congress to begin one as well

In addition to conducting our own internal investigation I calling for a full and thorough congressional investigation to uncover further corruption that in this program Noam says the TSA will continue to be present at airports and perform its normal security duties including real ID checks a new rule implemented early last month

So TSA is going to continue performing important vetting functions to stop security threats

and to ensure the safety of the American traveler. The Trump administration will return TSA to its true mission of being laser focused

on the safety and the security of traveling public. This includes restoring the integrity, the privacy, and the equal application of the law for all Americans

Quiet Skies has drawn criticism from some within the Trump administration, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard

Gabbard was reportedly on the TSA's watch list and in August of last year announced legal action

against the Biden administration for her inclusion. She believes she was targeted due to her stance on Ukraine

The program has also reportedly been used to track people who were in D.C. at the time of the Capitol riots and Democratic Senator Gene Shaheen's husband

Shaheen's husband, William Shaheen, was taken off the list after the senator spoke with the TSA director under former President Biden

For more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey