The TSA may soon adopt a new liquids policy
This change in policy was announced by the DHS secretary, not by the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (the deputy administrator is currently serving as the acting administrator). The Senate has not approved a new administrator since David Pekoske was relieved of his duties by the president on Jan. 20, 2025. Given that some senators have called for the TSA to be abolished, such cacophony likely means that a new TSA administrator will not be named too soon.
So why is this a problem?
The TSA security gauntlet is an intricate system of layers, many of which are invisible to travelers. The most visible aspects are what is deployed at airport security checkpoints, including advanced imaging technologies for passenger screening and CT scanners for passenger baggage. Some of the less visible layers include federal air marshals deployed on certain flights, hardened airplane cockpit doors, and Secure Flight, which vets passengers prior to their flight.
Risk-based security is the glue that ties all such layers together. It informs the use of security technologies and the creation of policies such that the air system can be maximally secured with minimal passenger inconvenience.
Recall that after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, all passengers were treated the same from a security perspective. Such a one-size-fits-all approach was expensive and inconvenient to passengers, with little evidence that it made the air system more secure. It was also unsustainable.
This led to the creation of TSA PreCheck, which gives passengers access to expedited screening lanes, where they can keep their shoes on when being screened and keep their electronic devices in their carry-on bag. TSA Precheck passengers have voluntarily gone through a background check — this is why they can be subjected to expedited, less intrusive physical screening at checkpoints.
Allowing passengers with a REAL ID to keep their shoes on when being screened is, in and of itself, not bad. It is always easier to tighten security procedures than to relax them. In practice, passengers may discover that when wearing certain types of footwear, like work or hiking boots, choosing to remove them voluntarily may end up saving them time, since the full body screener may flag them for additional screening, which will then require the footwear to be removed anyway.
What is next in airport security? Belts are likely on the docket for consideration, although the same delays may occur if the full body scanners flag certain belts for additional screening.
The one that is on most people's minds is the liquid restriction. The United Kingdom relaxed its liquid policy at certain airports when it installed CT scanners for carry-on bags. The acting TSA administrator recently indicated that this policy would stay in place in the U.S. until around 2043, given the time needed to fully deploy CT scanners for carry-on bags at all U.S. airports.
To confuse the issue further, the DHS secretary has now indicated that the liquid policy is up for discussion, provided the necessary guardrails remain in place to keep the system secure. Perhaps relaxing the liquid restriction for PreCheck passengers traveling from airports with CT scanners will be the next step forward.
Most people would welcome this policy change. But what can be done to ensure that the system's security remains sufficiently robust?
The answer is not promises from industry partners offering the newest and flashiest scanning technology to detect liquid explosives. It is, rather facial recognition.
By requiring all passengers' identity to be authenticated using facial recognition, this layer will fill in holes left by relaxing some physical screening procedures.
Facial recognition at airport security checkpoints has been a lightning rod of controversy for some time. A group of senators have called for it to be paused, based on concerns about personal privacy and civil liberties. The Travelers Privacy Protection Act of 2025 would give anyone the right to opt out of facial recognition being used to authenticate their identity. If such an act becomes law, it would set airport security back by a decade, by locking airport security into its threat item-centric paradigm, rather than focusing on threatening people, which is where the greatest risks reside.
If the DHS intends to relax more of the security layers in place to protect the aviation system, ensuring that facial recognition continues to be a centerpiece of their strategy is critical. Putting a Senate-approved TSA administrator in place would also be important, to provide confidence that the collection of security layers being used is keeping the air system secure for all travelers.
Sheldon H. Jacobson, Ph.D., is a computer science professor in the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has researched risk-based aviation security for over 25 years, which provided the technical justification for TSA PreCheck.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
22 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Kids of Afghan Translator Taken at Green-Card Check Living in Fear—Brother
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The children of an Afghan man who served with U.S. troops and entered the U.S legally are terrified to play outside after their father was detained at a green-card appointment, the man's brother said. Zia S., a 35-year-old father of five and former interpreter for the U.S. military, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents outside a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office in East Hartford, Connecticut, on July 16, his lawyer told reporters on a press call. The brothers requested that their names be withheld over safety concerns. "His kids don't even go out to play because they're scared. And I didn't even go out to work because I'm watching his kids," Zia's brother, who also served as interpreter, told Newsweek in an exclusive interview on July 30. An agent watches migrants coming for their hearings at an immigration court in New York. An agent watches migrants coming for their hearings at an immigration court in New York. Andrea Renault/STAR MAX/IPx Why It Matters Following the end of the U.S. military's 20-year presence in Afghanistan in 2021, many Afghans who had assisted American forces were allowed entry into the United States through refugee programs, Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS). However, policy changes under the Trump administration resulted in the termination of TPS for some people, raising concerns about potential deportations. The U.S. ended TPS for Afghans effective July 14, 2025, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice published in May. President Donald Trump has vowed to remove millions of migrants without legal status. The White House said in January that anyone living in the country unlawfully is considered to be a "criminal." What To Know Zia arrived in the U.S. on humanitarian parole in October 2024 and had been living in Connecticut, his lawyer told reporters during a press call. He assisted U.S. troops in Afghanistan for about five years and fled the country with his family in 2021. Although they had received Special Immigrant Visa approvals and were pursuing permanent residency, Zia was placed in expedited removal proceedings. A federal judge has issued a temporary stay on his deportation. After his initial detention in Connecticut, Zia was transferred to an immigration detention center in Plymouth, Massachusetts. A senior Department of Homeland Security official told Newsweek on July 23 that the Zia "is currently under investigation for a serious criminal allegation." Newsweek has requested more details from DHS surrounding the alleged wrongdoing. Zia's brother denied that he was involved in any criminality and said the allegations are "baseless." Both brothers served the U.S. military as interpreters. Zia's brother came to the U.S. more than a decade ago through the same SIV program and eventually obtained U.S. citizenship, he said. The detention has taken a toll on his wife, Zia's brother said. "His wife is suffering anxiety since he's been detained," he said. "And nobody sleeps. The family is awake all night." In a message to Trump, Zia's brother said the family followed all legal procedures and expected the U.S. to honor commitments to its Afghan allies. "We were promised wartime allies," he said. "For our job, like when we have served with the U.S. and we helped the U.S. Army and our home country, and we were promised that you all would be going to the U.S. on legal pathways. "They should stand on their promise. They should not betray us. They should not betray those who put their lives at risk and their families' lives at risk for them." What People Are Saying Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, previously told Newsweek: "The Trump administration's decision to turn its back on our Afghan allies who risked their lives and the lives of their families to support American troops in Afghanistan is unconscionable." A senior DHS Official told Newsweek: Zia is "a national of Afghanistan, entered the U.S. on October 8, 2024, and paroled by the Biden administration into our country." Zia's attorney, Lauren Cundick Petersen, told reporters on a press call on July 22: "Following the rules are supposed to protect you. It's not supposed to land you in detention. If he is deported, as so many of the people have articulated today, he faces death." What Happens Next Zia is being held in a Massachusetts detention center and will remain in ICE custody, pending further investigation by DHS.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Pastor Detained By ICE Agents While Traveling To Help Pregnant Niece
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Immigration agents detained a pastor in Florida while he was driving to his pregnant niece, who was experiencing serious health complications, his family told Newsweek. Francisco Javier Grisales-Jaramillo, who holds dual Colombian and Spanish citizenship and has preached at the United Pentecostal Church in Getafe, Spain, was stopped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Hallandale Beach about 12 p.m. on July 12, the family said. The family said he has no criminal record and is in the country legally under a tourist visa while awaiting the outcome of an asylum application; however the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Newsweek he overstayed his visa by three months. "The arrest was sudden and impersonal. No violence, but no compassion. He wasn't allowed to call or inform his family. He was handcuffed and taken without a clear explanation," a member of the family who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals, told Newsweek. Federal officers from multiple agencies remain in the hallways to monitor and assist in the removal of immigrants who are coming for immigration hearings at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan. Federal officers from multiple agencies remain in the hallways to monitor and assist in the removal of immigrants who are coming for immigration hearings at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan. Andrea Renault/STAR MAX/IPx DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: "Francisco Javier Grisales-Jaramillo was pulled over for making an illegal U-Turn and found to be in the country illegally and was subsequently arrested. He entered the U.S. on January 5, 2025, on B-2 tourist visa that required him to depart the U.S. by April 4, 2025," Grisales-Jaramillo was granted a one-year driver's license with Real ID, the family said. "We are terrified, trying to protect our family and stay strong for our children. Our children are heartbroken. It's been incredibly difficult," the family member said. Grisales is currently being held at the Broward Transitional Center after initially being detained at Dania Beach, according to the ICE detainee locator. The family member says he is suffering emotionally and physically while in custody. "He reports poor conditions—expired food, limited and expensive phone access, poor medical care, and cold temperatures. He is experiencing emotional distress and is treated as if he were a criminal, despite having no criminal record," they said. "Any claim that there is a lack of food or subprime conditions at ICE detention centers are false," McLaughlin said. "All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with lawyers and their family members. It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. "This includes medical, dental, and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare than many aliens have received in their entire lives. Meals are certified by dieticians. Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority. Grisales-Jaramillo's relative told Newsweek that the arrest has ripped the family apart. "We are emotionally drained and devastated," the family member said. "Francisco's family in Spain and Colombia is shocked and fearful. Everyone is worried and feeling helpless," they added. Grisales-Jaramillo fled to the U.S. after facing threats from gangs in both Spain and Colombia, the relative said. While living in Spain, his apartment building fell into disrepair after the owner went bankrupt, they added. Criminal groups began occupying the structure, and Grisales, along with other residents, tried to protect the building, the relative said. In return, they were threatened with violence, the relative said. His wife was pregnant at the time, and criminals threatened to burn their apartment down, according to the relative. The police could do little, the relative said, so the family eventually returned to Colombia. But even there, they were tracked, the relative said. The family received photos showing them getting out of their car, with threatening messages saying they were being watched, the relative said. They fled to the U.S. and applied for asylum legally, according to the relative. Grisales-Jaramillo's immigration hearing is scheduled for August 4, 2025.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Vermont governor declines Trump administration request to use National Guard in immigration enforcement
Vermont Public Joseph Brooks, a spokesperson for the Vermont National Guard, said the state had received a request earlier this month for 10 to 12 of its members to provide 'administrative and logistical support' to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE. Advertisement According to 'It was up to the governor to decide whether he wanted to support the mission,' Brooks said. 'The governor decided not to.' It was not immediately clear how many other states were asked, or whether others declined the request. Though a Republican, Scott has long distanced himself from Trump — and publicly disclosed that he voted for the Democratic presidential nominees in the 2020 and 2024 elections. At the same time, he has assiduously avoided confronting Trump over policy disagreements in the president's second term. Advertisement Wheeler said the governor 'agrees that addressing those who are violent criminals here illegally is important' — and that other federal personnel could be reassigned for immigration enforcement duties. 'But again, the details matter,' she said.
