DHS seeks $70M luxury Boeing 737 while justifying it as deportation asset

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem sought OMB approval to purchase a $70 million Boeing 737 Max 8 outfitted with a queen bed, showers, bar, kitchen, and four flat-screen TVs as part of ICE's plan to own a deportation fleet rather than use charter flights. ICE officials initially deemed the aircraft too luxurious for deportation use, and some DHS officials privately questioned the expenditure. Noem defended the purchase as a cost-saving measure, telling Congress it would save tens of millions by replacing charter costs and enabling command-and-control flights.