DHS Head Reportedly Approved Purchase of 10 Engineless Spirit Airline Planes That Carrier Did Not Possess
The secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security reportedly approved the purchase of Spirit Airline jets before discovering that the carrier did not actually own the aircraft – and that the planes lacked power plants.
This strange incident was detailed in a report published on the end of the week, which described how the official and a former political strategist had recently attempted to buy 10 Boeing 737 aircraft from Spirit Airlines. Sources with knowledge informed the outlet that the two intended to use the planes to expand removal flights – and for private use.
Those sources also claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had cautioned them that buying planes would be significantly costlier than simply expanding existing flight contracts.
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Making the situation more complex, Spirit, which entered bankruptcy protection for the second instance in August, did not possess the jets and their engines would have had to be acquired separately. The plan has since been paused, according to the investigation.
In the interim, Democratic lawmakers on the House appropriations committee said in October that during this fall's historically lengthy government shutdown, the DHS had already purchased two Gulfstream aircraft for $200m.
“It has come to our attention that, in the midst of a government shutdown, the US Coast Guard entered into a single-source agreement with Gulfstream Aerospace to procure two new G700 luxury jets to facilitate travel for the secretary and the deputy, at a expense to the taxpayer of $200m,” Democratic representatives wrote in a letter to the department.
A department representative told the Journal that some details in the report about the aircraft acquisitions were inaccurate but refused to offer additional clarification.
The legislature had earlier authorized the termed “major immigration bill” in July, which allocates roughly $170 billion for immigration and border-related operations, a sum that makes ICE the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.
In September, it was revealed that the government was moving individuals detained as part of its deportation agenda in ways that violated their legal rights, often by plane.
Leaked data reviewed from charter airline Global Crossing outlined the travels of tens of thousands of immigrants who have been shuttled around the country before removal.
