DHS Acquires Fleet of Jets to Facilitate Mass Deportations
The Department of Homeland Security has entered into a new agreement to acquire six Boeing 737 aircraft for use in deportation operations, the agency said Wednesday. DHS officials said the purchase is expected to reduce transportation costs and save taxpayers an estimated $279 million.
The agreement is valued at nearly $140 million, according to sources who spoke with The Washington Post, and is being financed in part with funds appropriated to the Department of Homeland Security through the One Big Beautiful Bill enacted earlier this year.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has historically relied on charter aircraft for removal operations. DHS officials say the addition of a dedicated fleet is intended to make large-scale deportation flights more efficient and reduce overall transportation costs as the administration expands its enforcement efforts, Just the News added.
“These planes will allow ICE to operate more effectively, including by using more efficient flight patterns,” Assistant DHS Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin posted on X. “President Trump and [Homeland Security] Secretary [Kristi] Noem are committed to quickly and efficiently getting criminal illegal aliens OUT of our country.”
The announcement comes as the Trump administration pursues its goal of removing one million migrants by the end of the year. According to border czar Tom Homan, federal authorities have carried out approximately 579,000 deportations to date, and an additional 66,000 migrants remain in detention awaiting processing, Just the News added.
Trump administration officials are increasingly aggressive when it comes to curbing both legal and illegal immigration to the United States following the deadly attack on National Guard troops late last month by an Afghan national let into the country under then-President Joe Biden.
Noem has stated that she will recommend a travel ban on several countries that she claims are contributing significantly to criminal activity in the U.S.
She said in a post on social media on Sunday that she had met with President Donald Trump and decided to suggest “a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”
Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared Noem’s post on their official social media accounts. It is currently unclear which countries the proposed travel ban would affect or when it might be implemented. DHS informed the BBC that it would announce the list soon.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday evening that President Trump had already imposed a
travel ban several months ago targeting what the administration described as “third world and failed state” countries. Noem’s new recommendations would broaden the policy to include additional nations.
On 4 June, the White House released a list of 19 countries — primarily in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean — that would be subject to full or partial immigration restrictions.
Noem’s proposed additions would bring the total to roughly 30 countries, according to multiple U.S. officials who spoke with CBS News, the BBC’s U.S. partner.
Before addressing the travel-ban proposal, Noem wrote on social media that roughly 100,000 Afghan nationals entered the United States through the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program, adding that the Department of Homeland Security planned to overhaul its vetting procedures.
Officials have identified the suspect in the Washington, D.C., shooting as an Afghan national who arrived in 2021 under the same program, which was created to resettle Afghans who had assisted U.S. forces during the country’s 20-year military presence in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel criticized what he described as the Biden administration’s “emblematic failure” following the Nov. 26 shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., during an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle.”
“The problem with this case shows the emblematic failure of the Biden administration to vet anyone who came here from Afghanistan after the disastrous withdrawal,” Patel said.
One of the individuals attacked, 24-year-old Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, is still recovering and in critical condition, while a fellow member from the West Virginia Army National Guard, 20-year-old U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, died from her wounds.
BREAKING: Bret Baier cuts into live broadcast with urgent update on Trump
Fox News’ Bret Baier Caught on Video Getting Ticketed in D.C. amid Trump’s Police Takeover
"I didn't know there was paparazzi," Baier said after footage of him getting pulled over was shared to X
Fox News anchor Bret Baier was ticketed in Washington, D.C., amid President Donald Trump's overhaul of the city's police.
One week after the president seized control of the Metropolitan Police Department — a move he claimed would help to fight crime and target the city's homeless population — Baier, 55, was seen getting a ticket for distracted driving by an MPD officer.
Fox News' Bret Baier gets a ticket in Washington, D.C.
Roy Rochlin/Getty; Mollaan Babbington Group of COMPASS via Storyful
The Special Report host explained in a post on X that he picked up his phone as he drove past an officer in Georgetown, resulting in the ticket. As in much of the rest of the United States, it is illegal to use a cellphone while simultaneously driving in Washington, unless hands-free technology is being used.
"I didn't know there was paparazzi," Baier added at the end of his message.Members of the National Guard patrol at Union Station in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 14, 2025.
JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty
After the president announced his administration's takeover of Washington, D.C., law enforcement on Aug. 11, the Metropolitan Police Department fell under federal control. Attorney General Pam Bondi was put in charge of the D.C. police, and Trump warned he was ready to deploy other military forces "if needed."
The capital takeover prompted widespread protests, confrontations at ICE checkpoints and further curfews. Although the citizen response is largely negative, the Trump administration has expressed satisfaction with how the takeover is unfolding.Trump claimed the move was in response to a "public safety emergency," despite local crime data showing otherwise. The president has accused city officials of falsifying data.
The Washington, D.C., takeover was initially planned to be 30 days long, though Trump has expressed desire to extend the period — and apply the same methods in other U.S. cities.
"Our whole country is going to be so different and so great," Trump said on Aug. 13. "It's going to be clean and safe and beautiful, and people are going to love our flag more than they've ever loved it. And we're going to do a great job."
President Trump has to stop live speech as he rushed from podium after ‘medical emergency’
BREAKING: Trump Abruptly Halts Speech After Sudden Medical Emergency Inside White House
Washington, D.C. — What began as a routine national security briefing quickly turned into a moment of confusion and concern that left both the press and the public searching for answers.
President Donald Trump was in the middle of delivering remarks on rising global tensions, including warnings about Iran and nuclear threats, when the atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically. Witnesses describe a sudden break in focus—an interruption that escalated within seconds into what appeared to be a medical emergency.
Before most viewers at home could fully grasp what was happening, the live broadcast abruptly cut to black.
A Sudden Turn Behind Closed Doors
According to individuals present in the room, confusion spread rapidly. A child reportedly collapsed, triggering immediate alarm among those nearby. Among the first to react was Mehmet Oz, who moved swiftly toward the scene.
Observers noted that his response was immediate and instinctive—less that of a public figure, and more that of a concerned parent and trained physician. His wife, visibly shaken, added to the intensity of the moment unfolding just feet away from the podium.
At nearly the same time, Karoline Leavitt issued a firm directive to clear the room. Reporters were quickly ushered out, cutting off any chance for immediate clarification.
Silence Replaces Answers
Within moments, the press conference was officially terminated. No explanation was offered. No follow-up briefing was announced.
The abrupt end left a void—both in the room and across the nation. Viewers were left staring at blank screens, while journalists scrambled for details that, as of now, remain unconfirmed.
A Human Moment in a High-Stakes Setting
What makes the incident particularly striking is where it occurred: inside one of the most secure and controlled environments in the world. The Oval Office is typically a place of calculated messaging and strict protocol. Yet in this instance, those layers of control appeared to dissolve in an instant.The contrast was stark. Just seconds earlier, the focus had been on geopolitical threats and national defense. Suddenly, the narrative shifted to something far more immediate and personal—a family crisis unfolding in real time.
What Happens Next?
As of now, the White House has not released an official statement clarifying the nature of the emergency or the condition of those involved.
Until more information emerges, the public is left piecing together fragments:
A speech interrupted mid-sentence
A rushed response from a doctor and parent
A distressed family at the center of attention
And a room cleared with urgency and silence
In Washington, where every moment is usually scripted and controlled, this unexpected incident serves as a stark reminder: even at the highest levels of power, unpredictability can take over without warning.
