Overview

• The Trump administration plans to discontinue the Quiet Skies traveler surveillance program this week, with officials preparing for a formal announcement as soon as Thursday.
• DHS Secretary Kristi Noem criticized the program as a “political rolodex” under the Biden administration that targeted some travelers while exempting well-connected individuals.
• Senator Jeanne Shaheen secured a blanket exemption for her husband in October 2023 after William Shaheen was flagged twice as a co-traveler of a suspected terrorist and she lobbied then-TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
• Quiet Skies, launched in 2010, deploys undercover air marshals and analysts to monitor travelers based on travel patterns and associations but has long faced criticism for lacking clear guidelines and oversight.
• High-profile figures including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard have reported being monitored under the program, fueling broader concerns over privacy and equal treatment.