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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has inked a nearly $140 million contract to purchase six Boeing 737 aircraft, establishing a dedicated fleet for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation flights. This unprecedented move—shifting from the agency’s long-standing reliance on private charter companies—signals a major expansion and institutionalization of the Trump administration’s commitment to large-scale immigration enforcement.
The contract was awarded to Daedalus Aviation, a Virginia-based company, and was first reported by The Washington Post before being confirmed by DHS. The funding for the acquisition comes from the $170 billion Congress allocated earlier this year for the administration’s border and immigration agenda.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, defended the purchase as a fiscally responsible measure. In a statement, she claimed the new initiative would save $279 million in taxpayer dollars by allowing ICE to “operate more effectively, including by using more efficient flight patterns.” McLaughlin added that the administration is “committed to quickly and efficiently getting criminal illegal aliens OUT of our country,” aligning the purchase with the stated goal of deporting one million people by the end of President Trump’s first year in office.
ICE Air Operations has historically depended on charter services to transfer detainees between domestic detention centers and to carry out removals to foreign countries. The new dedicated fleet of Boeing 737s, capable of flying up to 200 people, is expected to significantly increase the agency’s capacity to conduct both internal transfers and international repatriations.
However, the purchase has been met with caution from some former officials. John Sandweg, a former acting director of ICE under a previous administration, expressed surprise, noting that most of what the agency aims to accomplish can already be achieved through existing charter contracts, suggesting the new fleet could ultimately prove more costly than the existing setup once maintenance and crew logistics are factored in. Furthermore, the contract award is the latest in a series of spending actions enabled by the massive funding increase for immigration enforcement. This sum has made ICE the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.
The acquisition reflects a strategic shift to increase capacity and reduce potential political friction with commercial operators. Previously, airlines contracting with ICE for deportation flights have faced backlash, with one carrier reportedly experiencing boycotts and losing contracts in Democratic-run cities. The new DHS-owned fleet removes this vulnerability, ensuring consistent operational capacity for the administration’s expanded deportation agenda. The new aircraft are expected to significantly ramp up removals, with ICE already on track to deport more than 600,000 people by year’s end.
Sources and Links
- The Washington Post: DHS inks contract to create its own fleet of Boeing 737s for deportations
- The Guardian: US signs nearly $140m deal to purchase six Boeing 737s for use in deportations
- The Independent: DHS inks $140 million deal for Boeing jets to serve as its deportation fleet
- AVweb: DHS Plans to Purchase ICE Deportation Aircraft
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