The Weaponization of Travel Blacklists
3 hours ago
- #travel surveillance
- #civil liberties
- #government accountability
- The Quiet Skies program involved Federal Air Marshals surveilling pre-selected airline passengers.
- There are at least 22 different mechanisms leading to additional screening or travel denial for Americans.
- Quiet Skies targeted individuals based on government blacklists, watchlists, ethnicity, and travel history.
- The program was ended in June 2025 by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noehm, with five senior TSA officials fired.
- Travel blacklisting and watchlisting have been used against individuals for activities protected by the First Amendment.
- The issue of travel blacklists is bipartisan, affecting groups regardless of political affiliation.
- Legal challenges to travel blacklists have been ongoing, with the government delaying cases.
- The Freedom to Travel Act, introduced in 2021, aims to establish a statutory right to travel and provide legal recourse for violations.
- Advocates urge Congress to reintroduce and pass the Freedom to Travel Act.