ICE is trying to buy a $70 million luxury jet with a bedroom and showers to shuttle migrants for deportation

ICE is looking to purchase a luxurious $70 million jet equipped with a bedroom, showers and even a bar — claiming it’s needed for cabinet officials’ travel itinerary and deporting migrants, according to a report.

The Department of Homeland Security recently leased the Boeing 737 Max 8, which officials have described as a luxury jet. But now, ICE is seeking approval from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to purchase the aircraft for a whopping $70 million, two DHS officials told NBC News.

ICE said the jet would be used for deportations and travel for Cabinet members, the officials said. That would include Noem, who spent $172 million in taxpayer funds on a pair of top-of-the-line private jets during the government shutdown this past October.

The new jet features a bedroom that includes a Queen-sized bed, showers, a kitchen, four large flat-screen TVs and a bar.

A DHS spokesperson confirmed to the outlet that “at least one of the bedrooms is currently being converted for seating to prepare the aircraft to meet the demands of its deportation mission set.”

Some officials with ICE, which falls under DHS, initially felt the jet was too luxurious to be used for immigrant deportations, prompting some questions about whether it is a necessary expense to further President Donald Trump’s mass deportations agenda.

However, DHS says the jet will help save taxpayers’ money.

“This plane flies at 40 percent cheaper than what the military aircraft flies for ICE deportation flights — saving the American taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars. This is part of Secretary Noem’s broader efforts to clamp down on inefficiencies and save taxpayer dollars,” the spokesperson said.

The jet can hold up to 18 passengers and sleep 14 people, but most deportation flights carry between 50 and 100 detainees, according to the report.

Officials at ICE and OMB only considered the luxury jet after discussing ways it could be “retrofitted” for deportations, a DHS official told NBC. It was not immediately clear what that would look like or how many detainees would be able to be transported.

Despite the uncertainty, the official said they expect OMB to approve the purchase. The Independent has contacted DHS for comment.

It’s not the first time Noem’s lavish spending habits have been called into question. The two Gulfstream G700 luxury jets purchased in October for $172 million fueled questions about how the agency paid for them amidst the government shutdown.

​​Earlier this year, the United States Coast Guard requested in its budget a single long-range Gulfstream V jet estimated to cost $50 million to replace an aging one used by Noem.

However, the move was slammed by Democrats as another example of Noem’s excessive spending at the expense of taxpayers. It remains uncertain where the funding came from.

Noem’s spending in her previous role as South Dakota governor also drew attention, according to The Sioux Falls Argus Leader. The outlet reported in 2021 that she spent $68,000 in taxpayer money to redecorate the governor’s mansion. And South Dakota taxpayers also covered about $150,000 in Noem’s personal and political travel costs, the Associated Press reported in March.