Overview
- The contract was awarded to Daedalus Aviation, a recently formed firm listed in Virginia records with William Allen Walters III and Taundria Cappel as officers.
- ICE spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said owning aircraft will enable more efficient flight patterns and improve operations.
- DHS has not disclosed the specific 737 variants, the timeline for entering service, the routes to be flown, or the full operating costs.
- The jets will be used exclusively for deportations as part of President Donald Trump's push to accelerate removals.
- A prior attempt to acquire 10 aircraft from Spirit Airlines collapsed, and ICE has until now depended on charters that flew 1,701 deportation flights to 77 countries through Oct. 31.