US government considers creating airline fleet dedicated to immigrant deportations

Jason Houser, former chief of staff at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from 2022 to 2023, told NBC News that such arrangements allowed the Biden administration to remove about 15,000 immigrants per month via chartered aircraft. He added: “If the goal is to get to 30 to 35,000 removals a month, you would need to double the number of planes.”

Funding does not appear to be an obstacle; under legislation passed during Trump’s term known as the "big, beautiful bill," DHS received over $75 billion—including $30 billion earmarked specifically for deportation activities.

ICE operates as a federal law enforcement agency within DHS with a mission "to protect the United States from cross-border crime and undocumented immigration that threaten national security and public safety." Its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division manages transfers and removals through ICE Air by using both commercial airlines and chartered flights. In recent years it has shifted away from commercial carriers due in part to cost concerns and safety issues.

Routine daily deportation flights typically use Boeing 737s; larger or high-risk missions might employ Boeing 777s or smaller jets like Gulfstream GIVs. ICE Air maintains five operational locations across Texas (San Antonio and Brownsville), Louisiana (Alexandria), Florida (Miami), and Arizona (Mesa), staging twelve aircraft at these sites for deportation purposes.

In related developments, Avelo Airlines has drawn attention for operating some of these deportation flights under contract with ICE amid broader government crackdowns on illegal immigration. This role has brought criticism upon the ultra-low-cost carrier after it agreed in April 2025 to transport migrants domestically and internationally on behalf of DHS. In July 2025 Avelo announced plans to close its Hollywood Burbank Airport base due partly to financial challenges following calls for boycotts over its participation in deportation operations.

Avelo Airlines was founded in 2018 with Andrew Levy as CEO. Its hubs include Hollywood Burbank Airport as well as several other airports across the country.