The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is a federal agency within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for travel security across the country. Formed after the Sept. 11 attacks, it has become the center of numerous rumors and claims surrounding privacy and security.
In March 2026, President Donald Trump's administration deployed ICE agents to airports amid growing airport wait times during a partial government shutdown. Snopes has reported on a bill passed in 2026 that would ban members of Congress from getting special treatment during airport security screenings. We also debunked false claims that TSA agents were checking travelers' cellphones for specific applications.
Over the years, we have also reported on claims including whether airport scanners "rip apart" travelers' DNA and whether full-body scanners show a person's private parts. We have also covered the second Trump administration's restructuring of the TSA, including its firing of various officials to the lack of evidence around claims that it fired air traffic controllers in 2025.
See more of our coverage below:
For months, President Donald Trump and his allies have vowed to destroy progressive nonprofits, falsely claiming that they fund and support political violence and terrorism in the U.S. But this we...