The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a luxurious interior and is used to comfortably transport Trump administration officials to engagements, according to a report published Friday.
NBC News shows pictures of the Boeing 737-8 Max plane with a bedroom equipped with a queen bed, showers, kitchenette, four large flat-screen TVs and a bar.
According to the report, some DHS officials are privately questioning the need for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to purchase the jet it currently leases. An official told NBC on condition of anonymity that the department’s announced plan to use the plane as an alternative for senior government members and to deport immigration detainees is “far-fetched.”
ICE deportation flights typically transport more than 100 shackled detainees at a time, plus guards, medical personnel and flight crew. According to marketing materials obtained by NBC, the Boeing plane DHS plans to buy has room for up to 18 passengers and sleeps 14.
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
However, in a statement to NBC, a department spokeswoman said there are plans to replace at least part of the plane’s interior if ICE’s $70m request for funding is approved by the White House-controlled Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
“At least one of the bedrooms is currently being converted for seating to prepare the aircraft to meet the demands of the evacuation mission set,” the spokesperson said.
“This new aircraft provides dual missions for ICE deportation flights and cabinet-level travel. This aircraft flies 40% cheaper than a military aircraft for ICE deportation flights.”
The purchase is part of Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem’s “broader efforts to curb inefficiencies and save taxpayer dollars,” the person added.
However, Noem has faced criticism in the past for using taxpayers’ money. In October, she was criticized by House Democrats for spending $200m during the government shutdown on two private Gulfstream jets for herself and Deputy DHS Secretary Troy Edgar.
