Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is defending the purchase of two luxury private jets for herself and other DHS officials, costing more than $170 million in public funds. The U.S. Coast Guard’s acquisition of two Gulfstream G700 jets comes as the federal government shutdown is in its 21st day, hampering federal nutrition assistance and other public aid for millions of people nationwide. In a statement, Democratic Congressmember Bennie Thompson slammed the multimillion-dollar purchase as “blatantly immoral” and “probably illegal.”

This comes as ICE has spent over $70 million more on weapons for its agents since Trump returned to office, a 700% increase. This includes the purchase of explosives,
chemical weapons and guided missile warheads as immigration raids and crackdowns on protesters intensify across the country.