Kristi Noem slammed over $70 million taxpayer-funded jet for ‘high-profile deportations’ as luxury interior sparks outrage

The aircraft seats just 18 passengers, but comes with a queen-size bed, showers and a bar.

That contrast is now at the center of a brewing controversy involving Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and a proposed $70 million jet purchase that critics argue bears little resemblance to a typical deportation flight.

According to NBC News, leadership at the Department of Homeland Security has been in contact with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), arguing that the aircraft would be used both for immigrant deportations and for Noem’s official travel.




The jet in question, a Boeing 737 Max 8 previously leased by DHS, was designed by New York designer Peter Marino and outfitted more like an executive aircraft than a transport plane. Inside, it includes a private bedroom with a queen-size bed, showers, a kitchen, four large flat-screen televisions and a bar. The plane can carry up to 18 passengers and sleep 14 people, NBC reported.

That layout has drawn scrutiny because standard deportation flights look very different.

NBC notes that removal flights typically transport between 50 and 100 detainees at a time, in addition to medical personnel and security staff. The 18-seat configuration of the proposed aircraft falls far short of that scale.

Two DHS officials familiar with the request told NBC that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which operates under DHS authority, informed OMB the jet would serve deportation operations as well as Cabinet-level travel.

When asked how the plane would be adapted for enforcement use, a DHS spokesperson said, “at least one of the bedrooms is currently being converted for seating to prepare the aircraft to meet the demands of its deportation mission set.”

Still, skepticism reportedly exists within the department. One DHS official cited by NBC described the idea of using the aircraft for deportations as “far-fetched,” pointing to the gap between its upscale interior and the logistical realities of mass transport. A person familiar with internal ICE discussions said some officials initially viewed the jet as too lavish for immigration enforcement purposes.

The proposal also arrives as President Donald Trump continues to push an aggressive mass deportations agenda. Some department officials have privately questioned whether the $70 million purchase aligns with that mission.

DHS, however, maintains that the numbers justify the investment.

“This new plane will serve dual missions, both as ICE deportation flights and for cabinet level travel,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.

“This plane flies at 40% cheaper than what the military aircraft flies for ICE deportation flights, saving the American taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars. This is part of Secretary Noem’s broader efforts to clamp down on inefficiencies and save taxpayer dollars,” the spokesperson added.

The debate comes amid ongoing attention to Noem’s travel arrangements. During last year’s government shutdown, the Trump administration purchased two Gulfstream G700 jets for $172 million for Noem and other senior leaders.