WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is advocating for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to purchase and operate its own fleet of planes to carry out deportations, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. While former officials caution that the move would be costly, they note it could allow ICE to potentially double the number of deportations each month.
Currently, ICE relies on chartered planes to remove immigrants, typically leasing between eight and 14 aircraft at a time. Jason Houser, ICE’s chief of staff from 2022 to 2023, said this arrangement enabled the Biden administration to deport about 15,000 immigrants per month. He estimated that doubling that figure to 30,000–35,000 removals would require at least 30 dedicated planes. Having its own fleet, Houser added, would free ICE from competition with other clients for charter aircraft.
The Trump administration has pledged to deport one million undocumented immigrants annually. During his first six months in office, ICE deported between 100,000 and 150,000 people, including voluntary departures. While the exact number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. remains uncertain, estimates place it in the millions.
Acquiring a fleet of commercial airliners would come at a steep cost. According to aviation experts at the Pilot Institute, passenger jets can range from $80 million to $400 million apiece, meaning 30 planes could cost anywhere from $2.4 billion to $12 billion. Even with bulk purchases, it is unclear if ICE could significantly reduce costs.
Currently, charter companies handle aircraft maintenance and ensure compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules. If ICE were to own its own fleet, it would need to take on responsibilities such as hiring pilots, security, and medics, as well as maintaining the planes and meeting regulatory requirements.
Thanks to President Donald Trump’s newly passed spending package, known as the “big, beautiful bill,” ICE may soon have the means to pursue the plan. The legislation provides $30 billion specifically for deportation operations, boosting ICE’s total funding to more than $75 billion — far above its previous annual budget of $9.5 billion.
With ICE’s detention population growing, Houser warned that more deportations are necessary to avoid overcrowding. By the end of July, private analysts tracking aircraft tail numbers reported that ICE had already chartered more than 1,000 flights. Each deportation flight costs roughly $25,000 per hour, covering the plane, crew, security, and medical staff. When not used by ICE, those charter planes are leased to clients such as professional sports teams and political campaigns.
Houser noted he had once considered the idea of ICE operating its own fleet but ruled it out during the Biden administration due to limited resources. “We only ever had 13 to 14 planes because of the amount of money and resources,” he said.
Source: NBC
