TSA expected to end shoes-off policy at many airports across US

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are expected to roll back the "shoes-off" airport security protocol at a Tuesday press conference in Washington.

DHS sources confirmed a 5 p.m. ET announcement at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, following widespread reporting that TSA will allow more passengers going through security to remove their shoes.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said ending the protocol is "big news from @DHSgov" in a post to X.

TSA / Donald Trump (Reuters)

The policy was first implemented in 2006 and was prompted by "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, a British citizen with ties to al-Qaeda, who attempted to detonate explosives he had hidden in his shoes on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in December 2001.

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A traveler interacts with a Transportation Security Administration agent at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, May 7, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

"TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture," a TSA spokesperson said in a statement. "Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels."

TSA PreCheck and partners CLEAR, IDEMIA and Telos have kept passengers from taking their shoes off in security for a number of years, but the latest change would impact everyone traveling through the main security line.

Transportation Security Administration agents verify passengers' identities on a checkpoint at Miami International Airport, May 7, 2025. (Pedro Portal/The Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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This change comes as the Trump administration’s TSA looks to alleviate some of the hassles of travel, and just last week began rolling out a new security lane exclusively for active-duty service members.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X @MizellPreston