The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reportedly considering the purchase of a $70m Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft for deportation flights and travel by Trump administration officials. The plane’s interior, as shown in images obtained by NBC News, includes a bedroom with a queen-sized bed, showers, a kitchen, four large flat-screen televisions and a bar.
Some DHS officials have privately questioned the necessity of the purchase, according to an anonymous official who told NBC that the plan to use the aircraft alternately for deportations and senior government travel was “far-fetched”. The plane has a maximum capacity of 18 passengers and sleeping space for 14, whereas typical Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation flights carry more than 100 shackled detainees along with guards, medical staff and crew.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed that if funding is approved by the Office of Management and Budget, at least one bedroom would be converted to seating to meet deportation mission requirements. The spokesperson said the new aircraft would serve dual purposes: deportation flights and cabinet-level travel, adding that it would be 40% cheaper to operate than current military aircraft used for deportations.
The purchase is part of homeland security secretary Kristi Noem’s broader efforts to reduce inefficiencies and save taxpayer money, according to the spokesperson. However, Noem has faced previous criticism over spending, having been censured by House Democrats in October for reportedly spending $200m on private Gulfstream jets during a government shutdown.
