DHS allocates $464.5 million for dedicated ICE deportation fleet of 10 aircraft

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has allocated $464.5 million to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to acquire 10 aircraft that will form a dedicated “deportation fleet.” The purchase package, outlined in documents released by the Office of Management and Budget dated March 21, includes eight Boeing 737 jets and two Gulfstream G650 business jets.

The move marks a shift from ICE’s previous reliance on private charter flights and, on occasion, military aircraft to transport non‑citizens slated for removal. The Washington Post first reported in December that ICE had entered a contract with Daedalus Aviation to acquire six Boeing 737s for $140 million. The latest allocation seems to expand that effort to a total of ten planes.

Heightened Oversight from Congress

The procurement has attracted heightened oversight from Congress. In early March, Senator Chris Murphy (D‑Conn.) sent a formal request to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for a legal opinion on the acquisition, specifically questioning the inclusion of a $70 million Gulfstream G650 that was earmarked for “dual‑purpose” use, including travel by senior DHS officials. Murphy’s letter cited interior specifications supplied by a New York designer—queen‑size bedroom, showers, kitchen, four flat‑screen televisions and a bar—and noted that the aircraft’s 18‑person capacity is insufficient for large‑scale deportation operations. “There is also no clarity as to the source of funds for the luxury plane,” the senator wrote.

DHS has defended the purchase, stating the aircraft will support a range of missions, from high‑level diplomatic travel to the repatriation of non‑citizens, and that consolidating these capabilities under a single fleet will improve operational efficiency.

Deportation Flights in Massachusetts

State officials have also voiced concerns. Following Senator Murphy’s request, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey wrote to Tony Lefebvre, CEO of Signature Aviation, urging the company to terminate its services for ICE at Hanscom Field Airport.

Signature Aviation provides ground handling, fueling, hotel coordination and other logistical support at more than 220 locations worldwide. In her letter, Governor Healey asked the firm to “immediately sever ties with ICE and stop providing services that support deportation flights out of Hanscom, including charter operators, fueling aircraft, and facilitating access to the airfield and tarmac.”

The governor further called on ICE to cease deportation flights from the Massachusetts airfield and appealed to private airlines and aviation service providers to discontinue any involvement in such removals.