“Real ID, Real Backlash: How America’s Airport Rules Are Testing Civil Liberties”
Real ID enforcement began May 7, 2025 and required compliant domestic United States flights to have driver licenses or passports, years after the 2005 Act required, and still ended years of delays. The gradual implementation of TSA has incorporated the $45 Confirm.ID charges to non-compliant travelers by February 1, 2026, which leads to queues and refusals. Conservatives such as Rep. Thomas Massie (a danger to liberty), Sarah Palin (Big Brother), and ACLU threats of a national ID that would compromise privacy through standardized databases and biometrics all backlashed. The compliance is at 93.5 in Atlanta, but there is compliance at the expense of low-income populations with no DMV access. Airline companies intensify warnings during civil liberties trials.
Real ID Compliance Challenges
Real ID rollout sparks airport delays, extra screening for non-compliant IDs.
Conservative Civil Liberties Pushback
Figures like Massie decry Real ID as Patriot Act overreach invading travel freedoms.
Privacy and Equity Concerns
ACLU flags Real ID as surveillance gateway; underserved face barriers to compliance.
