Union Sues TSA Over Secretive Airport Screening Privatization Plan

The union, representing the nation’s largest block of public employees, initiated the legal action after the TSA failed to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request filed in May. While the agency has acknowledged the program exists and intends to launch it at three airports next year, it has provided no documentation regarding the scope or implementation of the shift.

AFGE national president Everett Kelley warned that moving toward private contractors mirrors the system in place prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks, which relied on less stringent screening protocols. Critics, including Association of Flight Attendants president Sara Nelson, have linked the initiative to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 blueprint. For union members like Tampa-based TSA worker Chris Finlay, the move represents a prioritization of corporate profit over public safety, as private firms are likely to cut staffing costs to improve margins.