TSA: An Agency in Need of Reevaluation
While there’s a big push for reforming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it seems the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) might be the agency that truly needs funding reconsideration within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The TSA was established after the events of 9/11, a reaction to how hijackers used box cutters to commandeer airplanes that tragically caused massive destruction. Before that day, security screenings were handled by private entities linked to airports and airlines, under the assumption that a government agency would improve safety.
Surprisingly, that hasn’t been the case. TSA screeners often fail to detect dangerous items during tests conducted by government auditors, who place weapons in luggage and on passengers to see if TSA will catch them. A 2015 investigation by DHS indicated that this occurred over 90 percent of the time.
On a more positive note, TSA claims that in 2024, agents confiscated 6,678 firearms during 7.4 million screenings. Most of these guns are found due to passengers forgetting they have them. Yet, there haven’t been any public incidents where potential hijackings were thwarted by TSA measures.
To illustrate their success, a journalist highlighted how TSA showcased seized items at inspection points in 2008; however, many of the items were just oddities or relatively harmless tools. They also provide an annual top ten list of dangerous items on their website, while the controversial practice of liquid disposal continues unabated.
There are liability concerns involving TSA agents themselves. Between 2003 and 2012, 381 agents faced termination due to theft, and more recently, a ring of TSA agents at Miami airport was arrested for similar offenses.
That said, ongoing discussions about real issues with ICE are happening. Recently, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, President Trump’s nominee to lead the DHS, made a commitment during his confirmation hearing that ICE officers would seek search warrants signed by judges, rather than relying on the contentious administrative ones.
These represent genuine reforms. Unfortunately, TSA lacks such clarity. The agency’s inefficacy has been flagged as a national security concern, leading to classified audits under the assumption that revealing the truth might empower potential terrorists.
While TSA’s oversight encompasses the entire transportation system, including ports and pipelines, most of its $11.6 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year goes towards airport screening and the Federal Air Marshals.
With a workforce of 65,000—50,000 of whom are screeners—TSA has more employees than the entire active and reserve U.S. Coast Guard combined. To put it in perspective, the FBI, tasked with countering domestic terrorism, has only 13,700 special agents.
A recent 2023 study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlighted the growth of domestic terrorism-related cases within the FBI, increasing from 1,981 to 9,049—a staggering 357 percent rise from 2013 to 2021. This report clearly noted numerous instances of racially or ethnically motivated violence but didn’t even mention TSA. Even with its perceived role in combating terrorism, TSA is more notorious for collecting too many shampoo bottles.
It might be time to reconsider funding for TSA, reduce its airport responsibilities, and redirect those resources toward agencies that are genuinely tackling terrorism.
