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The secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security allegedly approved the acquisition of Spirit Airlines jets before discovering that the carrier did not actually own the aircraft – and that the planes were missing engines.

This bizarre incident was detailed in a report released on the end of the week, which recounted how the official and a former campaign manager had recently arranged to buy 10 Boeing 737 aircraft from the airline. People familiar with the situation informed the outlet that the two planned 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 far more expensive than simply increasing current charter agreements.

ICE facing fierce backlash after footage apparently shows unresponsive individual clutching infant during arrest.

Making the situation more complex, Spirit, which entered bankruptcy proceedings for the second instance in August, did not possess the aircraft and their power plants would have had to be acquired separately. The proposal has since been halted, according to the investigation.

In the interim, Democratic lawmakers on the House appropriations committee said in the autumn that during this season's historically lengthy government shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security had already purchased two Gulfstream aircraft for $200 million.

“It has come to our attention that, in the midst of a government shutdown, the US Coast Guard entered into a single-source agreement with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to acquire two new G700 luxury aircraft to support travel for the secretary and the deputy secretary, at a cost to the taxpayer of $200m,” Democratic lawmakers wrote in a communication to the department.

A DHS spokesperson told the Journal that parts of its reporting about the aircraft acquisitions were incorrect but declined to provide further details.

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

In the autumn, it was revealed that the administration was moving individuals detained as part of its removal program in ways that violated their constitutionally protected rights, often by air.

Confidential information reviewed from charter airline GlobalX detailed the journeys of thousands of immigrants who have been transported around the nation before removal.