Facts about the TSA’s Quiet Skies watchlist program

Don’t miss the full story from our staff writer Stephen Dinan, whose reporting is the basis of this AI-assisted article.

The Transportation Security Administration’s Quiet Skies program has been terminated by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following concerns about its effectiveness and potential political misuse.

Here are some facts about the program:

• Program termination: Ms. Noem ended the TSA’s Quiet Skies watchlist program on Thursday, citing its failure to stop any terrorist activities.

• Surveillance method: Under the program, the TSA would flag individuals for extra scrutiny, with federal air marshals assigned to monitor these passengers during travel.

• Annual budget: The Quiet Skies program operated with a budget of $200 million per year despite producing no documented security benefits, she said.

• Congressional investigation request: Ms. Noem characterized the program as a “twisted tool of political weaponization” and described it as a “political rolodex of the Biden administration.” She has asked Congress to investigate the abuses associated with the Quiet Skies program following its termination.

Read more: DHS shuts down TSA’s Quiet Skies program after abuses