The Trump administration has officially shut down the ‘Quiet Skies’ passenger surveillance program, a covert initiative run by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that placed undercover US air marshals on flights to monitor certain passengers.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced the program’s termination on Thursday and called for a formal investigation into its operations.
DHS stated that the program cost taxpayers $200 million annually and “failed to stop a single terrorist attack.”
The administration also removed a government official found responsible for including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in the surveillance list, a decision that sparked controversy and drew criticism from both political and civil rights circles.
Political Clash Over Quiet Skies Program
In a recent high-level meeting, Trump administration officials confronted TSA leadership over the program’s alleged politically motivated applications during the Biden administration.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, citing The Wall Street Journal, the administration accused career officials of using the Quiet Skies program for partisan purposes.
The Boston Globe exposed the existence of the Quiet Skies program in 2018, revealing a surveillance initiative that had remained largely under the radar since its launch in 2010.
The initiative drew heavy criticism from civil liberties advocates, who argued that it enabled invasive and unchecked government surveillance of US citizens.
How Quiet Skies Program Operated
The program tasked TSA analysts and undercover air marshals with monitoring air travellers who were flagged as potential risks.
TSA analysts and air marshals surveilled these individuals in airports and onboard flights using tools such as facial recognition software, outstanding warrants, travel behaviour analysis, and identification of suspicious travel patterns.
Despite its broad surveillance reach, critics argue that Quiet Skies offered little transparency and failed to yield measurable security benefits.
The DHS’s acknowledgement that it prevented no terrorist attacks throughout its operation has further fueled criticism.
Another Flashpoint In Political Weaponisation Debate
The shutdown of Quiet Skies highlights a growing debate in Washington over the political weaponisation of intelligence and surveillance tools.
The Trump administration has positioned the program’s closure as part of a broader effort to curb politically motivated misuse of federal security programs.
The decision to end the Quiet Skies program adds a new chapter to the ongoing national conversation around privacy, government overreach, and the balance between security and civil liberties.
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