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The secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security reportedly approved the acquisition of Spirit Airline jets before learning that the airline did not actually own the planes – and that the planes lacked power plants.

This strange incident was detailed in a investigation released on Friday, which described how the secretary and a former political strategist had recently arranged to purchase 10 Boeing 737 aircraft from Spirit Airlines. People familiar with the situation told the paper that the two intended to use the planes to increase removal flights – and for personal travel.

Those insiders also stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had cautioned them that purchasing aircraft would be significantly costlier than simply increasing current charter agreements.

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Making the situation more complex, Spirit, which entered bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in the summer, did not own the aircraft and their engines would have had to be bought independently. The proposal has since been paused, according to the investigation.

Meanwhile, Democrats on the House appropriations committee said in the autumn that during this fall's record-long government shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security had already acquired two Gulfstream jets for $200 million.

“It has come to our attention that, in the midst of a government shutdown, the United States Coast Guard entered into a sole source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace to acquire two new G700 luxury aircraft to facilitate travel for the secretary and the deputy secretary, at a expense to the taxpayer of $200m,” Democratic lawmakers wrote in a letter to the department.

A DHS spokesperson told the Journal that parts of its reporting about the plane purchases were incorrect but refused to offer additional clarification.

Congress had previously approved the termed “big, beautiful bill” in the summer, which allocates roughly $170 billion for immigration and border-related operations, a sum that makes Immigration and Customs Enforcement the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.

In the autumn, it was revealed that the government was transporting immigrants detained as part of its deportation agenda in ways that breached their legal rights, often by air.

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