NEW: DHS Deploys Freshly Acquired Jets to Shuttle Trump Officials -- including Kash Patel & Tom Homan -- Around in Luxury

U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin blasting DHS' acquisition of 12 new planes -- including 5 new luxury jets -- and its plans to use those aircraft to ferry Trump administration officials around. They also sent the letter to the DHS Inspector General, noting that the acquisition and use of the planes merits investigation by his office. "It has come to our attention that the Department of Homeland Security is effectively running an in-house private jet service for Trump administration officials with a slew of new luxury jets and other airplanes it has acquired and begun providing to officials over the last year," Murray and Murphy write to Mullin. "This includes providing jet services not only for DHS officials like yourself, but also for White House Border Czar Tom Homan, other administration officials, members of the first family, and even the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel." "The Department's purchase of these airplanes to shuttle administration officials around the globe demonstrates a remarkable disregard for American taxpayers who work hard and expect government officials to responsibly manage their tax dollars, not burn them on extravagant luxury jets. These acquisitions also raise serious legal concerns, as Congress has not provided the necessary legal authorization for DHS to purchase these planes, much less run a private jet service for government executives." In total, DHS has acquired 12 new aircraft, including 5 extravagant new luxury jets, using funds provided in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA). These jets were acquired and provided for officials' use, even though no authorization was ever provided by Congress to buy any airplanes, much less to support executive travel. Two Gulfstream G650 luxury business jets: One of the G650s has already been leased to the FBI for 12 months to support Director Patel's travel -- despite the fact that the FBI already has its own jets to support the Director's travel. The other G650 is currently being retrofitted for deployment to support Border Czar Homan and undisclosed DHS officials' travel, according to the Department. One Boeing 737-8 MAX business jet, a modified ultra-luxury jet that DHS acquired fully equipped with a bedroom and other luxury amenities like a shower, kitchen, bar, and flatscreen TVs -- amenities that even Air Force Two lacks. Despite these features, DHS claimed the jet would "serve dual missions -- both as ICE deportation flights and for cabinet level travel." Now, DHS has informed us the bedroom is being removed, and the plane will remain in ICE's ownership but be loaned to the Department of Defense (DOD) to fly undisclosed cabinet-level officials. Seven Boeing 737s, a commercial aircraft that can seat upwards of 200 passengers. DHS claims four of these aircraft will be used to support Congressional Delegations (CODELs) but has not provided information on why it is necessary or a permissible use of funds for DHS to purchase these aircraft. DHS states three of the aircraft will soon support ICE deportation flights. "The American people deserve a full accounting of this gross misuse of their tax dollars," the senators wrote, and concluded by urging Secretary Mullin to sell the planes: "we hope that you will sell off these unnecessary luxury jets and airplanes acquired by DHS and return the funding to American taxpayers." The letter asks DHS to provide contract details, retrofitting contracts, cost analyses, flight logs including names and titles of passengers, the FBI lease agreement, the DOD loan agreement, and legal justifications, by August 26, 2026.