The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has signed a contract worth $140 million to purchase six Boeing 737 planes for deportation operations. The move will allow the agency to operate its own fleet, which is part of a larger funding increase approved by Congress earlier this year. The planes are funded through the $170 billion allocated for President Trump’s border and immigration agenda over four years.
The administration has set a goal of deporting 1 million people by the end of Trump’s first year in office. So far, ICE has made over 579,000 removals, with nearly 66,000 immigrants being held in detention. The new planes will help ICE operate more efficiently, saving $279 million in taxpayer dollars.
The purchase is a significant move, as it allows DHS to have control over its deportation operations and increase capacity for both removals from the US and moving people within the country. However, questions remain about what DHS will do with the planes after Trump leaves office. The agency has historically relied on charter flight companies for deportation flights, giving administrations more flexibility.
This move is part of a larger trend of increased immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. The plan aims to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of “criminal illegal aliens.”
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/12/10/dhs-deport-boeing-contract