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For $464 million (€397 million), the Trump administration bought ten used jets for its own deportation fleet from a major Republican donor without a public tender.
The planes have been grounded for months because of a lack of pilots and technical personnel, and several jets are hardly suitable for mass deportations.
At the same time, the government is pushing ahead with its deportation offensive, with record numbers and an almost tripled ICE budget.
To conduct deportation flights and transfers within the US more efficiently, the US government decided last fall to establish its own deportation air service, which quickly became known unofficially as “ICE Air.” The Trump administration spent $464 million (€397 million) on a dedicated fleet of deportation planes—acquiring ten used aircraft through expedited channels . However, the planes have apparently been grounded for months, as pilots and technical personnel were apparently overlooked in the planning.
The “ICE Air” project was intended to make mass deportations more efficient. According to the “New York Times,” the government hastily dispensed with a public tender and bought the jets from a company headed by William Allen Walters – a major Republican donor.
Some of the acquired aircraft are difficult to use for efficient deportation flights: for example, the two Gulfstream business jets only offer 14 seats each. After deducting the number of security personnel flying along, this leaves space for a single-digit number of detainees awaiting deportation.
Boeing 737 unsuitable for deportations
Even more bizarre is the acquisition of a Boeing 737 converted into a private jet. Because its luxury cabin has proven unsuitable for deportations, the responsible Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has, according to the “New York Times,” attempted to charter the aircraft internally to the Pentagon – so far apparently without success.
The remaining aircraft of “ICE Air”—regular Boeing 737 passenger planes—were until recently flying for the US airline Avelo Airlines. Starting in the spring of 2025, the airline carried out deportations. Initially, the company was likely pleased with the additional income in an otherwise difficult market. However, Avelo first removed its logo from the deportation planes and then ceased operations in Mesa entirely. Six Boeing 737-700 aircraft were sold to the government—through the Republican party member Walters—for an undisclosed price.
The Trump administration is pushing ahead with its deportation offensive. In June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded a new record month with over 43,000 arrests. In July alone, the government conducted 329 deportation flights to 37 countries.
During Trump’s entire second term, nearly 26,000 such flights have taken place. At times, 25 aircraft carrying deportees are simultaneously airborne in the US. The costs are considerable: some military transport flights cost over $4,600 (€3,900) per person deported. But even commercially operated charter flights incur six-figure costs per flight.
Tripled budget for ICE
The financial resources are available. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” provides a total of $45 billion (€38.5 billion) by 2029 – almost three times the ICE budget. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, the agency deported 234,236 people, 74 percent more than in the same period last year.
At the end of June, 57,861 people were being held in ICE detention. According to the Center for Immigration Law and Policy, only about 30 percent of those detained have a criminal record. This contradicts the original promise made by Trump’s border security chief, Tom Homan, to focus on “the worst of the worst.”
According to media reports, the government is now planning to purchase pilots and technical personnel from so-called wet-lease providers. These service providers normally lease crews along with aircraft – but Trump’s team already has those.