Kristi Noem, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), recently faced scrutiny regarding plans to purchase jets from Spirit Airlines. A report by the Wall Street Journal highlighted that Noem, along with Corey Lewandowski, who managed Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, intended to acquire 10 Boeing 737 aircraft from Spirit for the purposes of expanding deportation flights and personal travel. However, it was revealed that Spirit Airlines did not actually own the planes, and the aircraft were missing engines.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials reportedly advised Noem and Lewandowski that purchasing aircraft would be more costly than simply extending existing flight contracts. Complicating the situation further, Spirit Airlines had filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in August and did not have ownership of the jets.
In addition to the jet purchase debacle, Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee noted that during a recent government shutdown, DHS procured two Gulfstream jets for $200 million. Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Lauren Underwood highlighted this expenditure, pointing out that it occurred amid a government shutdown and criticized the decision to enter into a sole-source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace.
A DHS spokesperson indicated that parts of the Wall Street Journal’s reporting regarding the aircraft purchases were inaccurate but provided no additional clarification. Prior to these events, Congress had approved a substantial funding package for immigration and border operations that allocated roughly $170 billion to these areas, making ICE one of the most heavily funded law enforcement agencies in the federal government. Reports have also surfaced regarding potential violations of constitutional rights during the movement of detained immigrants, often involving air travel.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/08/kristi-noem-spirit-airlines-planes