Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced in a press conference at Harry Reid International Airport that more than $1 billion will be invested into TSA security checkpoint enhancements across the United States.
Noem, flanked by local Transportation Security Administration workers, made the announcement Saturday afternoon at the Las Vegas airport. She later handed out notices of direct deposit bonuses to about 30 TSA employees.
“The Department of Homeland Security is going to be investing over $1 billion in new technology and advancements in security systems at checkpoints in airports across the country.”
Noem said the investment is the biggest for security enhancements at airports in over a decade. She said investments will be made into X-ray technologies at TSA checkpoints and also for “the technology it takes to scan individuals.”
Noem said security personnel will also receive additional training and added that “our greatest resources are our people.” She added that additional K-9 units will be added to checkpoints as part of the overall investment, though some of those efforts have already started.
“We know it is our responsibility to not only keep travelers safe, but also to make sure that we’re getting them to their locations safely and in a manner that is pleasant and an enjoyable experience for them and their families,” Noem said.
A DHS representative said after the press conference that the bonuses, worth $10,000 each, were given to select TSA employees.
Blame game
Noem was also asked about dwindling Las Vegas tourism figures and whether, as some have argued, that President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies have put a damper on international visitation to the city.
For September, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported that visitation to Las Vegas was down nearly 9 percent when compared with the same month in 2024.
It marked the ninth consecutive monthly decline. Earlier this year, Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the powerful Culinary Workers Union in Nevada, referred to the downturn as the “Trump slump.”
Noem, however, brushed that notion aside.
“America is a country of hospitality,” Noem said. “We love to have visitors, but they have to come here legally and if they’re coming here to visit, they need to go home when they’re done visiting. President Trump has focused on making sure that all of our laws are enforced. We don’t pick and choose who they apply to, we just make sure that every law is applied equally to everyone, no matter who they are.”
Setting funds aside
Noem said she’s aware that many federal employees faced financial struggles during the 43-day government shutdown, which ended last week.
She said she’s “working on” a plan that could potentially set monies aside that would go to TSA workers during possible future government shutdowns, which Noem called “the Democrat shutdown.”
“I will continue to be an advocate for that,” Noem said. “We’re trying to figure out what we can do legally. My hope is that we don’t let politicians have that type of leverage over people’s everyday lives.”
Noem made her comments at Harry Reid International’s Terminal 3 facility behind a large sign that read “Thank you, TSA.”
In a statement Saturday, a Clark County Department of Aviation spokesman said the department “remains deeply appreciative of the TSA team and federal workers for their continued dedication in maintaining safe and efficient airport operations.”
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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