The daughter of United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has launched a fierce public critique of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), branding it an "unconstitutional agency" following a tense airport security screening.
A Confrontation Over Security Screening
Evita Duffy-Alfonso, 26, took to social media platform X on Thursday to detail an incident where she refused to pass through a full-body scanner due to her pregnancy, citing concerns over radiation exposure. The TSA requires all passengers to complete security screening, and those who opt out of the digital scanners must undergo an alternative physical pat-down conducted by an officer of the same sex.
Duffy-Alfonso claimed the subsequent pat-down was "absurdly invasive" and that the process took 15 minutes to complete. She alleged that TSA agents were "passive-aggressive, rude, and tried to pressure" her and another pregnant woman into using the scanner, insisting it was safe. The delay meant she "barely" made her flight, having arrived at the airport just one hour and 10 minutes before departure—well short of the two hours most airlines recommend.
Broader Criticisms and Political Echoes
In her online tirade, Duffy-Alfonso expanded her criticism beyond the immediate pat-down. She questioned the private security programme CLEAR for collecting passengers' biometric data and invoked George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, asking "Is this freedom?"
She also made the political dimension of her complaint explicit, stating that if her father were in charge of the TSA, he would "radically limit it and lobby Congress to abolish it." She concluded that "The 'golden age of transportation' cannot begin until the TSA is gone."
TSA Response and Safety Clarifications
In response to the incident, a TSA spokesperson told The Independent that the agency takes all complaints seriously and investigates them thoroughly. The TSA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintain that all airport screening equipment is safe for all travellers, including those who are pregnant.
They clarify that walk-through body scanners use non-ionizing electromagnetic waves, not X-rays, which "do not add to a person's ionizing radiation dose." The agency also advises passengers who may wish to opt out of scanner screening to allow extra time to reach their gate.
This incident follows recent high-profile criticism of the TSA from other right-wing figures, including South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who had a reported altercation with agents in October. It also comes amid ongoing political debate about the agency's role and funding, recalling the strain placed on thousands of TSA officers who worked without pay during the recent record-breaking government shutdown.
