🔗 Share this article

The secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security allegedly authorized the acquisition of Spirit Airline jets before discovering that the airline did not actually own the aircraft – and that the planes were missing engines.

This bizarre anecdote was contained in a report published on the end of the week, which described how the official and a ex- political strategist had recently attempted to purchase 10 Boeing 737 aircraft from Spirit Airlines. People familiar with the situation informed the outlet that the two planned to use the planes to increase removal flights – and for private use.

Those sources also stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had warned them that buying planes would be far more expensive than simply expanding existing flight contracts.

Immigration officials facing intense criticism after video apparently shows unconscious man clutching child during arrest.

Complicating matters further, Spirit, which filed for bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in August, did not possess the jets and their power plants would have had to be bought independently. The proposal has since been halted, according to the report.

In the interim, Democratic lawmakers on the House funding panel said in October that during this fall's historically lengthy government shutdown, the DHS had already acquired two Gulfstream aircraft for $200 million.

“It has come to our attention that, in the middle of a government shutdown, the United States Coast Guard signed a single-source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to procure two new G700 luxury aircraft to support travel for the secretary and the deputy, at a cost to the public of $200m,” Democratic representatives wrote in a communication to the DHS.

A department representative told the Journal that parts of its reporting about the plane purchases were inaccurate but declined to provide further details.

Congress had previously approved the so-called “major immigration bill” in July, which dedicates roughly $170 billion for immigration and border security operations, a amount that makes Immigration and Customs Enforcement the most well-funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.

In the autumn, it was reported that the government was moving individuals held as part of its removal program in ways that violated their legal rights, often by air.

Leaked data examined from private airline GlobalX outlined the travels of thousands of immigrants who have been transported around the country before removal.