A recent internal watchdog report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has uncovered serious vulnerabilities in the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) airport screening procedures nationwide. Despite the gravity of these findings, the TSA has yet to respond or take corrective action, even five months after the report’s release. This troubling lapse comes amid ongoing challenges at airports across the country, exacerbated by a prolonged DHS funding impasse that has left TSA agents unpaid for over 40 days, resulting in staffing shortages and operational difficulties.
The report originates from a classified audit conducted by the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), which employed “red team” testing methods at airport security checkpoints. These tests involve undercover investigators attempting to smuggle simulated weapons or explosives past TSA screeners to evaluate the effectiveness of screening protocols. The red team’s findings revealed significant weaknesses in TSA’s procedures that potentially leave the nation vulnerable to security breaches.
One notable concern raised by the audit relates to a 2025 policy change allowing travelers to keep their shoes on during security screening. While this policy was politically popular and aimed at streamlining the screening process, investigators questioned whether TSA’s detection technology had kept pace with the change, potentially allowing threats concealed in footwear to go undetected.
During prior sworn testimony before Congress, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem asserted that all of the inspector general’s recommendations had already been implemented. However, in a stark contradiction, Inspector General Joseph Cuffari made clear in a March 4 memo to TSA leadership that his office had received no evidence—neither written nor oral—that such corrective actions had been taken. According to internal communications obtained by CBS News and reviewed by House Homeland Security Committee staff, TSA has failed to submit the mandatory formal response to the audit, a step that should have been completed months ago. As a result, the report’s recommendations remain officially “open and unresolved.”
The problem is compounded by an unusual internal decision within DHS to designate a key finding from the red team audit as Top Secret, imposing strict restrictions on who could access the information. Distribution of the sensitive findings was limited to just 13 individuals across the government, including three members of Congress, seven DHS employees, two OIG employees, and one employee in the Executive Office of the President. Notably, TSA leadership was excluded from this list, effectively barring the very agency responsible for implementing corrective actions from reviewing or addressing the identified vulnerabilities.
The exclusion of TSA from access to critical findings has had a paralyzing effect on oversight and remediation efforts. Auditors have repeatedly requested that DHS lift or modify the distribution restrictions to allow direct engagement with TSA, but these requests have gone unanswered. The classification and limited dissemination have also hampered communication with Congress, with the OIG unable to fully brief lawmakers beyond a narrowly approved group. This breakdown in communication and accountability is particularly alarming given the national security implications.
Federal law and DHS policies require agencies to issue a “management decision” within 90 days of an audit report’s release. This decision must state whether the agency agrees with the findings and outline planned corrective actions. According to documents obtained by CBS News, TSA has not even begun this process, leaving a critical oversight mechanism stalled.
In his March 4 memo addressed to Ha Nguyen McNeill, the senior TSA official serving as acting administrator, Cuffari emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “OIG has not received such information—written or oral—from DHS or TSA, despite our requests to the Secretary and you for that information.” Earlier, in a February letter, Cuffari warned TSA leadership that their overdue response and the ongoing access restrictions had prevented substantive engagement since September 18, 2025, when the Top Secret designation was imposed.
Cuffari also urged then-Secretary Noem to rescind the restrictive memo, writing, “This step would allow OIG to engage with TSA, the operational component responsible for implementing any corrective actions.” However, DHS did not lift the restrictions, nor did it fulfill its basic procedural obligations to respond to the audit and address the security gaps.
Over the ensuing months, the situation deteriorated further. Correspondence shared with the House Homeland Security Committee documents repeated attempts by the OIG to secure a response and supporting documentation from TSA and DHS leadership. Letters sent in December, February, and March all demanded compliance with basic oversight procedures, but none elicited meaningful answers. DHS also failed to provide technical comments on the draft report before its November 1, 2025 release