Olivia Asher is a reporter at the New Herald Tribune covering breaking news for the Digital Trends Desk. Before joining the newsroom in 2022, she covered criminal justice issues at the Orlando Plain Dealer.
July 9 , 2025
Washington, D.C. — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today that airline passengers will no longer be required to remove their shoes during security screenings. Instead, travelers will be asked to recite the Pledge of Allegiance when passing through TSA checkpoints. Those who decline, hesitate, or fail to complete the pledge may be subject to enhanced screening procedures, including additional questioning and a search of their belongings and person.
The new protocol, effective next Monday, is being rolled out nationwide and marks a significant departure from post-9/11 screening practices. The shoe removal requirement, instituted in 2006 after the failed "shoe bomber" plot, has long been a source of frustration for travelers. TSA Administrator Colleen Mathers framed the policy change as both a practical and symbolic improvement.
“This updated procedure enhances security while affirming national unity,” Mathers said at a morning press briefing. “It allows us to shift focus from outdated physical threats to ideological ones that may pose equal risks to public safety.”
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the decision was made after a “comprehensive review of behavioral indicators and emerging threats,” although critics are calling the pledge requirement politically motivated and potentially unconstitutional.
Reaction from civil rights organizations was swift and scathing. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned the new policy, saying it violates First Amendment protections.
“Compelled speech is not security,” said ACLU legal director Maya Jensen. “Americans have the right to dissent—or to remain silent—without fear of government reprisal. Making patriotism a condition of boarding a plane is chilling and deeply un-American.”
Several legal challenges are already being prepared, with plaintiffs from multiple states arguing the policy discriminates against religious minorities, immigrants, and those who object to reciting the pledge on personal or political grounds.
Early reactions from the public have been mixed. At Reagan National Airport in Washington, traveler Mark Elkins, a U.S. Army veteran, expressed cautious support.
“I served this country, and saying the Pledge isn’t a problem for me,” Elkins said. “But forcing people to do it—what are we really checking for? That they can recite something under pressure?”
Others, like 26-year-old software engineer Nadia Reza, said the requirement made her “uncomfortable and suspicious” of government motives.
“I’m an American citizen. I don’t think I should have to prove it by parroting something before I get on a plane,” Reza said.
TSA officials clarified that individuals who are physically unable to speak, or who object on documented religious grounds, may request exemptions, but such cases will be reviewed individually. Those who simply refuse to say the pledge without a qualifying exemption will be flagged for what the agency calls a “noncompliance response protocol,” which may include interviews by Federal Air Marshals or airport police.
Transportation Secretary Melanie Rios defended the measure, calling it “an evolution in security that recognizes the threat posed by extremist ideologies.”
Legal analysts say the courts will ultimately have the final word, but for now, passengers are advised to prepare for the new reality: keep your shoes on, but be ready to declare your allegiance—out loud.
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