The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed the purchase of six Boeing 737 aircraft to enhance the capabilities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation operations. According to DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, these planes will improve operational efficiency, allowing for more effective flight patterns. This initiative is projected to save U.S. taxpayers approximately $279 million.
The contract, valued at nearly $140 million, was awarded to Daedalus Aviation. This development was first reported by The Washington Post. McLaughlin emphasized the commitment of both President Trump and Secretary Krisi Noem to expedite the removal of individuals illegally residing in the country, stating on social media platform X, “President Trump and @Sec_Noem are committed to quickly and efficiently getting criminal illegal aliens OUT of our country.”
Funding for this significant purchase is included in the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” which allocates $350 billion for border and national security initiatives, encompassing deportation efforts. Deportation flights for undocumented migrants commenced on January 24, 2023, with the first operation removing 80 Guatemalan migrants from Briggs Army Air Field in El Paso, Texas.
From January 20 to October 31, 2023, the administration reported carrying out 1,701 removal flights to 77 countries, as indicated by data from the ICE Flight Monitor provided by Human Rights First. The majority of U.S. immigration enforcement flights are conducted by ICE Air Operations (IAO), which traditionally does not own aircraft but instead contracts services through the airline broker CSI Aviation, which in turn partners with several airline carriers.
These carriers include GlobalX, Eastern Air Express, Avelo Airlines, World Atlantic (also known as Caribbean Sun), Eastern Air, OMNI Air, Kaiser, and Key Lime Air. During the Trump administration, at least 9,730 ICE Air charter flights were conducted, covering removal, removal-related, and domestic transfer flights.
Secretary Krisi Noem previously expressed a desire for ICE to operate its own aircraft for removals, a goal that has now been realized with this latest acquisition. In a notable statistic, DHS also announced that over 2.5 million migrants living illegally in the United States have departed in the past year, with enforcement actions resulting in more than 605,000 deportations and 1.9 million self-deportations.
This development marks a significant shift in the operational capabilities of ICE, reflecting ongoing efforts to bolster immigration enforcement and streamline deportation processes in the United States.
