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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Edward Helmore

Senator decries new shoes-on security policy at US airports as ‘reckless’

people stand in line at a security screening checkpoint in an airport
Passengers make their way through a screening line at George Bush intercontinental airport, on 29 March 2026, in Houston. Photograph: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP

Nine months after US airports allowed passengers to pass through scanners without taking off their shoes, rescinding the stringent policy after almost two decades, a top senator claimed the “reckless” move could put passengers in danger.

The policy amounts to a “potentially catastrophic security deficiency”, according to Tammy Duckworth, Democrat for Illinois, and ranking member of the Senate commerce, science and transportation (CST) aviation subcommittee.

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