U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is advocating for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to utilize increased funding to purchase, own, and manage a fleet of aircraft for deporting immigrants.
Sources from the Department of Homeland Security confirm that Noem is proposing to use billions in new funding to buy planes outright, which would eliminate the need for hiring charter companies for deportation purposes.
ICE currently leases between eight and fourteen planes at any given time, allowing for the deportation of approximately 15,000 individuals monthly. The aim, according to ICE officials, is to increase this figure to 30,000 to 35,000 deportations per month. ICE estimates that around 30 planes would be necessary to substitute their existing charter system.
The total cost of such a fleet could be as high as $12 billion. However, President Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s recent tax bill allocated a substantial $75 billion for ICE, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill.”
The agency would be responsible for plane maintenance in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration rules and regulations.
The Trump administration has expressed a goal of deporting approximately 1 million immigrants annually. According to data from Trump’s first six months in office, ICE has deported more than 150,000 people, including those who self-deported.
