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The head of the United States Department of Homeland Security allegedly approved the purchase of Spirit Airline jets before discovering that the carrier did not truly possess the planes – and that the planes lacked power plants.

This strange incident was contained in a investigation published on the end of the week, which recounted how the secretary and a ex- campaign manager had recently attempted to purchase 10 Boeing 737 aircraft from Spirit Airlines. Sources with knowledge informed the outlet that the two intended to use the jets to expand deportation flights – and for personal travel.

Those sources also claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had warned them that buying planes would be far more expensive than simply expanding existing flight contracts.

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Making the situation more complex, the airline, which filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in the summer, did not possess the jets and their power plants would have had to be acquired separately. The proposal has since been paused, according to the report.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers on the House appropriations committee said in the autumn that during this fall's record-long federal shutdown, the DHS had already purchased two Gulfstream jets for $200 million.

“It has come to our attention that, in the midst of a federal shutdown, the United States Coast Guard entered into a single-source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to acquire two new G700 luxury aircraft to facilitate travel for the secretary and the deputy, at a cost to the public of $200m,” Democratic representatives wrote in a communication to the DHS.

A department representative informed the outlet that parts of its reporting about the plane purchases were inaccurate but declined to provide additional clarification.

The legislature had previously approved the so-called “big, beautiful bill” in the summer, which dedicates roughly $170 billion for immigration and border security operations, a sum that makes Immigration and Customs Enforcement the most well-funded law enforcement agency in the US government.

In September, it was revealed that the government was transporting individuals detained as part of its removal program in ways that breached their legal rights, often by plane.

Confidential information reviewed from private airline GlobalX detailed the journeys of thousands of individuals who have been shuttled around the country before removal.