DHS Deportation Fleet of 8 Boeing 737s and 2 Gulfstream Jets Nearly Ready — $70M Luxury 737 Draws Senate Scrutiny; FAA Certification Concerns Could Delay Launch

CNN reported exclusively on May 16, 2026 that DHS is preparing to begin using a government-owned deportation aircraft fleet comprising eight Boeing 737s and two Gulfstream jets — purchased from Daedalus and operated by private contractors — in the coming weeks. The fleet was acquired for tens of millions of dollars and is intended to support President Trump's stated goal of one million deportations per year, supplementing the existing ICE Air charter operations. Aviation industry veterans and current DHS officials warned that FAA regulatory authorization for the 737s — which require commercial airline certification to operate as air carriers — could take months to secure, potentially delaying operational use. Particular congressional scrutiny fell on a $70 million luxury Boeing 737 fitted with a bed, kitchen, and bar, which Senate oversight investigators flagged as an inappropriate expenditure for an enforcement fleet. Critics questioned whether the government-owned fleet would deliver the promised cost efficiencies over charter operations. The fleet acquisition is part of a broader deportation infrastructure build-out: ICE Air reached a record 1,794 flights in March 2026 (a 122% increase year-over-year), and Human Rights First documented 245 removal flights in April 2026 including first-ever forced third-country transfers to Uganda, Paraguay, and the DRC. Government ownership is expected to give DHS greater operational control over flight scheduling and destinations, including the contested third-country transfer operations.