The Trump administration has officially ended the controversial "Quiet Skies" program, which involved undercover U.S. air marshals surveilling airline passengers. A government official responsible for placing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on the watchlist has also been removed.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced the program&rsquo;s closure on Thursday and called for a formal investigation. DHS revealed that the program cost taxpayers $200 million annually but did not prevent a single terrorist attack.
During a recent meeting, administration officials criticized the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), accusing it of using the Quiet Skies program for politically motivated purposes under the Biden administration, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Quiet Skies initiative, which began in 2010 and was first reported by the Boston Globe in 2018, has long faced criticism from civil liberties groups. The program deployed air marshals to covertly observe certain passengers during flights based on factors such as outstanding warrants, facial recognition data, and travel behavior.
While its stated purpose was to detect potential threats to aviation security, the program&rsquo;s effectiveness and transparency have been widely questioned. Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.

DHS shuts down costly air marshal program after failing to stop any terrorist attacks

Trump Ends 'Quiet Skies' Surveillance Program

DHS shuts down costly air marshal program after failing to stop any terrorist attacks

June 7, 2025 | 09:27 IST