A Democratic senator is urging the Department of Homeland Security to reinstate the contentious “shoes off” policy at airports, labeling its removal as “reckless and dangerous.”

Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois criticized former Secretary Kristi Noem, who declared last July that the rule, which had been in place for nearly two decades, would no longer be enforced at U.S. airports.

“Secretary Noem’s decision to adopt a shoes-on policy on July 8, 2025, seemingly without substantial consultation with the TSA [Transportation Security Administration], was a reckless move,” Duckworth stated in a letter directed to the TSA’s acting administrator, Ha Nguyen McNeill, as reported by CBS News.

Her stern warning comes on the heels of a DHS internal watchdog investigation that revealed airport scanners were incapable of effectively screening shoes.

“Permitting such a significant security gap to persist for over seven months undermines the TSA’s mission,” the senator asserted.

“At the very least, TSA’s delay in taking corrective action necessitates the immediate reversal of Secretary Noem’s dangerous policy, which heightens the risk of a terrorist smuggling a hazardous item onto an aircraft,” Duckworth concluded.

“Noem’s policy move had inadvertently created a new security vulnerability in the system,” Duckworth said.

The policy, which had been in place since 2006, was ditched just months before millions of tourists are expected to flock to the US for America 250 celebrations and the World Cup.

Noem said officials were confident high security standards could still be maintained — even without the policy remaining in place.

“We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience,” she said. 

“As always, security remains our top priority. Thanks to our cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach, we are confident we can implement this change while maintaining the highest security standards.” 

Travelers between the ages of 12 and 75 were ordered to remove their shoes ahead of scanning, but those who opted into TSA’s Precheck Trusted Traveler program were allowed to keep their footwear on.

The widely-detested shoes off rule came into force after “Shoe bomber” Richard Reid tried to detonate explosives on a Dec. 22 2001 American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami.

The plot failed and FBI bomb tech investigators found that around 10 ounces of explosives were packed into his footwear. 

Reid pleaded guilty to eight terror-related charges on Oct. 4 2002 and he was sentenced to life in a federal lockup.