ICE reportedly sought approval in February 2026 to buy a leased Boeing 737 MAX 8 for $70 million, with deportation flights and Cabinet travel described as intended uses. An October report later said the Department of Homeland Security paid $108 million for the aircraft. Those figures describe different reported stages of the story: the first was a requested price, while the later amount has not been confirmed here against the underlying contract or payment records.
What happened to the reported $70 million purchase?
On February 19, 2026, Telemundo, reproducing NBC News reporting, said DHS had recently leased the 737 MAX 8 and ICE was seeking Office of Management and Budget approval to purchase it for $70 million. The report attributed the request to two DHS officials involved in it. That was a reported request, not proof that OMB approved the purchase or that $70 million became the final price. Telemundo’s February report
On October 4, 2026, The Daily Beast, citing the New York Times, reported that DHS paid $108 million to Daedalus Aviation Corporation for the Boeing 737 MAX 8. The executed contract and payment records are not available here to verify the transaction terms, timing, or what costs the reported amount includes. The Daily Beast’s October report
| Date and source | Reported amount | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| February 19, 2026; Telemundo/NBC News reporting | $70 million | Price ICE was reportedly seeking approval to pay for the leased aircraft. |
| October 4, 2026; The Daily Beast, citing the New York Times | $108 million | Amount later reported as paid by DHS to Daedalus Aviation Corporation; underlying contract and payment records were not reviewed here. |
Why was DHS reportedly interested in the aircraft?
The reported intended uses were deportation flights and travel by Cabinet-level officials. That describes the stated dual purpose, not evidence that the aircraft actually carried deportees or officials. Telemundo’s February report described a queen bed, multiple showers, a kitchen, four large flat-screen televisions, and a bar, based on aircraft imagery and reporting rather than an official configuration document reviewed here. Calling it “first class” is rhetorical: the available material does not establish a commercial cabin class designation.
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What is known about its capacity for deportation flights?
In a March 3, 2026 statement, Senator Chris Murphy said the aircraft accommodated 18 people and argued that this was insufficient for deportation flights. That figure and assessment are Murphy’s claims; an independent technical assessment or aircraft-specific post-conversion capacity is not established here. Murphy’s March statement
How does this differ from ICE’s other aircraft procurement?
ICE’s July 8, 2026 sources-sought notice concerns lifecycle support for a different fleet: two C-37B aircraft or equivalent Gulfstream 650ERs, and seven Boeing 737-700s or equivalents. Its listed missions include removals, voluntary repatriation, high-risk charter operations, crisis response, medical evacuation, and movement of senior officials. It is an operational-support notice, not a solicitation for the 737 MAX 8 purchase discussed above. ICE’s July sources-sought notice on SAM.gov
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What questions about the purchase remain open?
In March 2026, Murphy asked the Government Accountability Office for a legal opinion about DHS aircraft purchases and questioned the authority and funding for the acquisitions. That was a request and an allegation, not a GAO ruling. No ruling is established by the material available here.
The FAA announced on July 17, 2026, that Boeing could resume issuing airworthiness certificates for all 737 MAX and 787 aircraft under FAA oversight after review of production-quality data. That industry-wide update does not establish the airworthiness status of this specific airplane. FAA’s July 17 announcement
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The exact final purchase price and terms, the aircraft’s configuration and capacity after any conversion, and whether it was used for deportations are not established by the reporting described here. Those questions require the aircraft-specific contract, modifications, payment records, configuration documents, and flight records.
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