The secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security reportedly authorized the acquisition of Spirit Airlines aircraft before discovering that the airline did not actually own the aircraft – and that the aircraft lacked power plants.
This strange anecdote was contained in a investigation published on Friday, which described how the official and a former political strategist had recently arranged to purchase ten Boeing 737 planes from Spirit Airlines. Sources with knowledge informed the outlet that the pair planned to use the jets to expand deportation flights – and for personal travel.
Those insiders also claimed that ICE officials had warned them that purchasing aircraft would be far more expensive than simply expanding existing flight contracts.
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Making the situation more complex, Spirit, which entered bankruptcy protection for the second time in August, did not own the aircraft and their power plants would have had to be bought independently. The proposal has since been paused, according to the report.
In the interim, Democratic lawmakers on the House appropriations committee said in the autumn that during this season's historically lengthy federal shutdown, the DHS had already purchased two Gulfstream aircraft for $200 million.
“It has come to our attention that, in the midst of a federal shutdown, the US Coast Guard entered into a sole source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace to procure two new G700 luxury jets to facilitate travel for the secretary and the deputy secretary, at a expense to the taxpayer of $200 million,” Democratic representatives wrote in a communication to the DHS.
A department representative told the Journal that some details in the report about the aircraft acquisitions were inaccurate but declined to offer additional clarification.
The legislature had previously approved the termed “major immigration bill” in July, which allocates roughly $170bn for immigration and border security operations, a amount that makes ICE the most heavily funded federal agency in the US government.
In the autumn, it was revealed that the administration was moving individuals detained as part of its removal program in ways that breached their legal rights, often by air.
Leaked data reviewed from charter airline Global Crossing outlined the journeys of thousands of immigrants who have been transported around the nation before deportation.
