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The head of the US Department of Homeland Security reportedly authorized the acquisition of Spirit Airlines aircraft before learning that the carrier did not truly possess the planes – and that the aircraft were missing power plants.

This strange anecdote was contained in a report released on Friday, which recounted how the official and a ex- campaign manager had recently arranged to buy ten Boeing 737 planes from the airline. Sources with knowledge informed the outlet that the pair intended to use the jets to increase removal flights – and for personal travel.

Those sources also stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had cautioned them that buying planes would be significantly costlier than simply increasing current charter agreements.

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Making the situation more complex, the airline, which filed for bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in the summer, did not own the aircraft and their engines would have had to be acquired independently. The plan has since been halted, according to the report.

In the interim, Democratic lawmakers on the House funding panel said in the autumn that during this fall's historically lengthy federal shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security had already purchased two Gulfstream jets for $200 million.

“It has come to our attention that, in the middle of a federal shutdown, the US Coast Guard signed a sole source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to procure two new G700 luxury jets to facilitate travel for the secretary and the deputy, at a cost to the taxpayer of $200m,” Democratic representatives wrote in a communication to the DHS.

A department representative informed the outlet that some details in the report about the aircraft acquisitions were inaccurate but declined to offer further details.

Congress had earlier approved the so-called “big, beautiful bill” in July, which allocates roughly $170bn for immigration-related and border-related operations, a amount that makes ICE the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.

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

Leaked data reviewed from private airline GlobalX outlined the travels of thousands of immigrants who have been transported around the country before deportation.