Kristi Noem Pushes $70M Luxury Jet Purchase as DHS Faces Questions Over Oversight and Spending
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security is seeking approval to purchase a $70 million luxury Boeing 737 Max 8, a jet currently being leased by the agency, even as internal officials question the necessity of the expense and raise concerns about oversight, budget discipline and mission alignment.
According to multiple DHS officials involved in the request, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which falls under DHS, has asked the White House Office of Management and Budget to approve the purchase. The aircraft is being pitched as serving dual purposes: deportation flights and Cabinet level travel. But the plane’s interior, and the department’s existing fleet, complicate that narrative.
A “Deportation” Jet With a Bedroom and a Bar
Images and marketing materials obtained by NBC News show the aircraft outfitted with:
• A queen-sized bed
• Multiple bedrooms
• Showers
• A full kitchen
• Four large flat-screen televisions
• A bar
• Lounge seating designed by New York designer Peter Marino
A brochure provided to passengers who recently flew on the aircraft with Noem described the jet as featuring “exceptional interior design” and emphasized that “no expense has been spared.” The plane accommodates a maximum of 18 passengers and can sleep 14, a stark contrast to standard deportation flights, which typically carry between 50 and 100 detainees along with medical staff and security officers. Traditional ICE deportation aircraft often include reinforced seating and floor restraints for detainees considered high risk. One DHS official involved in the discussions called the idea of using the jet for deportations “far-fetched.”
“But that’s what they’re claiming,” the official said of department leadership.
Existing Fleet and Existing Questions
ICE has already purchased five non-luxury Boeing 737 aircraft as part of Kristi Noem’s initiative to reduce reliance on charter flights. The agency plans to procure eight in total, according to DHS officials. That existing investment raises the central question: Why does DHS need a separate $70 million luxury-configured aircraft? A DHS spokesperson defended the proposal, stating the plane would save taxpayer money compared to military flights used for deportations, claiming it would operate at roughly 40% lower cost than military aircraft.
“This new plane will serve dual missions both as ICE deportation flights and for cabinet-level travel,” the spokesperson said.
However, DHS did not provide a cost-per-flight breakdown or per-detainee transport cost to substantiate the savings claim. Military deportation flights have previously cost significantly more than ICE charter flights, particularly during transfers to Guantánamo Bay. But ICE historically relies on charter carriers rather than purchasing luxury-configured jets.
Internal Reversal and Oversight Concerns
According to DHS officials, the luxury aircraft was initially rejected internally due to concerns over optics and mission suitability. Discussions then shifted toward potentially retrofitting the jet for deportation use before leadership reversed course and revived the purchase request.
“That particular plane was a ‘no,’ we weren’t going to buy it. Then all of a sudden, they said ‘yes,’” one official said.
Officials familiar with the process expect OMB to approve the purchase. The episode adds to broader scrutiny of spending under Noem’s leadership. NBC News previously reported internal concerns over a $170 million Coast Guard aircraft purchase meant to replace an aging plane used for DHS travel. Critics inside the department argue that layering luxury aircraft acquisitions on top of an expanding deportation fleet raises red flags about priorities — particularly as DHS publicly emphasizes budget discipline.
Oversight and Accountability
The proposed purchase comes amid ongoing debates about transparency and fiscal responsibility at DHS.
The Defense Department, Coast Guard officials, and DHS personnel have previously questioned large aircraft expenditures for executive travel. The luxury Boeing 737 request intensifies that debate, especially as the administration frames its immigration policy around operational efficiency and cost savings.
The Office of Management and Budget has not publicly commented on whether it will approve the purchase.
Optics and Political Fallout
The optics are difficult to ignore.
A plane marketed as having a queen bed, designer interiors, and a bar, while being positioned as a deportation platform, invites skepticism, particularly when ICE already operates standard aircraft designed for detainee transport. The administration argues the jet will serve national security and immigration enforcement missions efficiently. Internal officials question whether it primarily enhances executive travel. At minimum, the situation underscores a tension between rhetoric and procurement reality. If approved, the purchase would represent a significant expansion of DHS-owned aviation assets, and another high-dollar investment under Noem’s tenure.
The broader question is whether taxpayers are funding operational necessity or executive comfort repackaged as enforcement infrastructure.
