Democratic leaders of the United States Senate Appropriations Committee are seeking information regarding the United States Department of Homeland Security's acquisition and use of 12 aircraft, including a G650, a G650ER, two G700s, seven B737-700s, and a B737-8(BBJ).

In a letter addressed to Homeland Security secretary Markwayne Mullin, Appropriations Committee vice chair Patty Murray, and Homeland Security Subcommittee ranking member Chris Murphy questioned the acquisition of the aircraft and their subsequent use for executive and other government travel.

“It has come to our attention that the DHS is effectively running an in-house private jet service for Trump administration officials with a slew of new luxury jets and other aircraft it has acquired and begun providing to officials over the last year,” the letter states.

“These acquisitions also raise serious legal concerns, as Congress has not provided the necessary legal authorisation for DHS to purchase these aircraft, much less run a private jet service for government executives,” it continues.

The lawmakers have asked the DHS to provide acquisition and retrofitting contracts, operating and maintenance cost estimates, flight logs including passenger manifests, lease and loan agreements, and legal justifications for each aircraft by August 26, 2026.

The aircraft identified in the letter include two G700s acquired using funds allocated to the United States Coast Guard, as well as a G650, a G650ER, seven B737-700s, and a B737-8(BBJ) acquired using Immigration and Customs Enforcement funds.

The senators questioned the expenditure of nearly USD200 million in Coast Guard funds on the two G700s, the first of which was delivered in early 2026. They noted that the DHS already operated a GV(C-37A) and a G550(C-37B) for executive travel and had not previously identified a need for additional aircraft in annual budget requests.

ICE funds

The letter further seeks clarification on the acquisition of 10 aircraft using United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funds, which the DHS initially described as supporting removal operations.

Among these are two 15-seat G650s. One aircraft has been leased to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 12 months to support director Kash Patel's travel. The second is being retrofitted for use by White House border czar Tom Homan and other DHS officials, according to the department.

ch-aviation research shows that 2017-built G650ER N473US (msn 6242) has been based at Richmond International, VA and operates under the 'JENA' callsign, which is associated with the FBI and the United States Department of Justice. The 2016-built G650 N472US (msn 6198) has been parked at Dallas Love Field, home to a Gulfstream Aerospace completion and outfitting centre, since February 26.

Lawmakers also seek information on the acquisition and use of seven B737-700s. The DHS initially stated that the aircraft would support deportation missions, but later said that four would instead be used to support congressional delegations, while three would soon be deployed on deportation operations. The letter questions the necessity of the aircraft for congressional travel and the use of ICE funds for that purpose.

The final aircraft identified is a B737-8(BBJ) acquired in full VIP configuration. Initially intended to support both ICE deportation missions and cabinet-level travel, the B737-8(BBJ) has since been repurposed and loaned to the United States Department of Defense for the transportation of government officials, reportedly including the First Lady.