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The head of the United States Department of Homeland Security reportedly authorized the purchase of Spirit Airline jets before discovering that the carrier did not truly possess the aircraft – and that the planes were missing engines.

This bizarre incident was contained in a report published on Friday, which recounted how the official and a ex- campaign manager had recently attempted to purchase ten Boeing 737 planes from the airline. Sources with knowledge told the paper that the two intended to use the planes to increase removal flights – and for personal travel.

Those insiders also stated that ICE officials had cautioned them that buying planes would be significantly costlier than simply expanding existing flight contracts.

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Complicating matters further, Spirit, which entered bankruptcy protection for the second time in the summer, did not own the aircraft and their engines would have had to be acquired independently. 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 historically lengthy 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 signed a single-source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace to acquire two new G700 luxury jets to support travel for the secretary and the deputy secretary, at a cost to the taxpayer of $200m,” Democratic lawmakers wrote in a communication to the department.

A DHS spokesperson informed the outlet that parts of its reporting about the aircraft acquisitions were inaccurate but refused to offer additional clarification.

Congress had previously authorized the so-called “big, beautiful bill” in the summer, which allocates roughly $170 billion for immigration and border security operations, a sum that makes ICE the most well-funded law enforcement agency in the US government.

In September, it was revealed that the administration was moving individuals held as part of its deportation agenda in ways that breached their legal rights, often by plane.

Leaked data reviewed from charter airline Global Crossing outlined the travels of thousands of immigrants who have been transported around the nation before deportation.