ICE denies flashy new vehicles are in hiding as brokers say they don’t need them | EUROtoday

After spending tens of millions of taxpayer {dollars} on a fleet of recent automobiles with Donald Trump-inspired paint jobs, Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers reportedly don’t wish to drive them.

Last summer time, a slick promotional video captured a Ford Raptor pickup truck and GMC Yukon SUV rolling round Washington, D.C., with music from DaBaby taking part in over close-up pictures of navy blue paint jobs with red-and-white racing stripes and a gold seal.

The phrases “defend the homeland” seem on the facet, and “President Donald J. Trump” is printed in gold on a rear window.

Homeland Security’s preview of its new fleet — with paint jobs designed to appear like the president’s personal jet — price greater than $700,000. The authorities in the end spent greater than $2 million shopping for up a whole bunch of recent vehicles with customized wraps, based on contracts reviewed by The Independent.

But officers don’t need them, based on The Washington Examiner.

open picture in gallery

“ICE has never had marked vehicles,” one particular person aware of the purchases advised the outlet. “In talking to people, they’re like, ‘We don’t want to use these, we can’t.’”

Another stated it’s “ridiculous” to drive marked vehicles as a result of “you don’t want to advertise what you’re doing.”

“We’re just hiding them in a parking garage somewhere because we don’t want to drive them,” the particular person reportedly advised the outlet. “Who wants to drive the marked vehicles?”

Roughly 25 newly delivered ICE automobiles are sitting at an immigration detention facility in California, unused, based on the Examiner.

ICE has denied any suggestion that its new automobiles aren’t getting used.

“Any allegation that these ICE vehicles are not being used is FALSE. ICE is a law enforcement agency, and like all other law enforcement agencies, has a fleet of vehicles that includes those with ICE branding,” a spokesperson wrote to The Independent Monday.

“These specific vehicles are supplementing the existing ICE fleet and support operations across the country,” the particular person added. “The safety and security of our brave men and women is, and always has been, our priority, and suggestions that law enforcement branded vehicles, no different from police vehicles, will jeopardize that is simply not the case.”

But authorities contracts for the brand new fleet explicitly acknowledged that the paint jobs and ICE branding have been important to brokers having the ability to do their jobs.

In authorities paperwork reviewed by The Independent final summer time, ICE was seeking to scoop up 100 automobiles each 60 days, with a no-bid contract calling for no less than 1,000 automobiles with the brand new Trump-inspired livery.

“Without properly marked and equipped vehicles, newly hired staff cannot be deployed to the field, delaying the enforcement surge required to meet statutory and operational demands,” based on the request.

“Such delays create an operational gap that diminishes enforcement, undermines recruitment objectives, and places both public and officer safety at risk,” paperwork stated.

One contract for a pair of high-performance Mustang GT Fastback coupes was “an immediate request by the White House,” based on one other federal procurement doc reviewed by The Independent.

Another no-bid contract awarded $2.25 million to an organization owned by a prolific Republican donor, whose agency equipped 25 Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs. The contract, skirting a aggressive bid course of, was awarded to the corporate due to an “unusual and compelling urgency.”

Walter Olsen, a senior fellow on the Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, advised The Independent final yr that the flashy remedy is essentially performative, and in all probability, counterproductive.

“The look of most police cars tries to strike a balance between being recognizable as such for safety reasons without being intimidating or coming across as an occupation force,” Olsen stated on the time. “The ICE design screams ‘Look at us – we’re big, we’re mean, and we’re here whether you like it or not.’ That’s a message that it sends both to local residents and also to local elected officials.”

open picture in gallery

The purchases have been reportedly directed by now-former ICE deputy director Madison Sheahan, who left the company to run for a congressional seat in Ohio.

Sheahan was amongst a number of prime DHS officers to go away the company in current months; final week, the president fired Secretary Kristi Noem, who’s stepping down March 31, and Noem’s prime deputy Tricia McLaughlin left the company final month.

ICE management is now making an attempt to amend open orders for brand spanking new vehicles and vehicles to go away out the ache jobs, based on the Examiner.

The Independent has requested remark from DHS and ICE.

Congress authorized billions of {dollars} in new funding for ICE as a part of Trump’s sprawling home spending invoice in 2025, together with $30 billion to recruit and rent greater than 10,000 officers to assist the president’s mass deportation efforts.

DHS spending underneath Noem is underneath fireplace after two days of congressional hearings final week scrutinized a $220 million advert marketing campaign that prominently featured the secretary.

Most of that cash — $143 million — went to an organization that was created days earlier than it was awarded the contract. Last week, hours earlier than Noem’s ousting was introduced, Trump stated he didn’t log out on that spending.

Noem is also dealing with questions from lawmakers over her testimony on whether or not her adviser Corey Lewandowski signed off on contracts for the company, after the secretary testified that he didn’t. Members of Congress have steered she lied underneath oath.