In a move that appears to clash with the administration's core trade rhetoric, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is spending over $7.2 million in taxpayer funds on a fleet of armoured personnel carriers manufactured not in America, but in Canada.
A Sole-Source Canadian Contract
According to federal procurement records reviewed by The Independent, ICE's Office of Acquisition Management issued a sole-source justification document the day before Thanksgiving, approving the purchase of 20 Roshel Senator armoured vehicles from a company headquartered in Brampton, Ontario. The total cost is set at $7,234,926.20.
The document states that Roshel LLC was the only vendor "that possesses sufficient inventory to meet the required delivery schedule and the salient characteristics identified by ICE." It claims other US-based companies consulted could not fulfil the entire order within the required 30-day timeframe or meet all technical specifications.
Specifications and Political Irony
The vehicles ordered are Roshel Senator STANAG 4569 Level 2/B7 Emergency Response Tactical Vehicles. This certification means they are designed to protect occupants against bomb blasts equivalent to 8kg of TNT and can stop a .50 caliber round, a powerful bullet capable of penetrating an inch of concrete from a great distance.
The purchase creates a stark contrast with President Donald Trump's "America First Trade Policy," announced on his first day back in office. He declared it a "critical component to national security" that would lessen America's "dependence on other countries" for key security needs and benefit US workers and businesses.
This deal follows a period of tension with Canada, notably after anti-tariff TV ads from Ontario provoked Trump to threaten additional levies on all Canadian goods.
Watchdogs Question Need and Cost
Government-affairs experts have sharply criticised the procurement. Craig Holman, a lobbying expert at the watchdog nonprofit Public Citizen, told The Independent: "There are so many things wrong with this."
He questioned why a domestic immigration enforcement agency needs 20 heavily armoured vehicles, asking, "Who are they trying to protect themselves from? Frightened immigrants, or angry Americans?" Holman also labelled the expenditure a "waste of taxpayer money," especially as it does not support a US business.
The controversy unfolds as ICE faces growing public scrutiny. A YouGov poll in mid-November found a majority of Americans disapprove of its work, and agents report burnout amid intensifying public outrage. The agency's tactics have drawn criticism from elected officials, journalists, and religious leaders.
ICE's justification document cites a "critical need to support agents in the field" and asserts that buying from a single source ensures configuration uniformity and streamlines training. The agency states it will conduct future market research to "broaden future competition." ICE did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
