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The head of the United States Department of Homeland Security allegedly authorized the acquisition of Spirit Airline jets before discovering that the carrier did not truly possess the planes – and that the aircraft lacked power plants.

This strange anecdote was detailed in a report published on Friday, which recounted how the official and a former political strategist had recently arranged to buy ten Boeing 737 planes from Spirit Airlines. People familiar with the situation told the paper that the two planned to use the jets to increase deportation flights – and for private use.

Those insiders also claimed that ICE agents had cautioned them that buying planes would be far more expensive than simply increasing current charter agreements.

Immigration officials facing intense criticism after footage apparently shows unresponsive individual clutching infant during detention.

Complicating matters further, Spirit, which entered bankruptcy protection for the second instance in August, did not own the aircraft and their power plants would have had to be bought separately. The plan has since been paused, according to the investigation.

In the interim, Democratic lawmakers on the House appropriations committee said in the autumn that during this fall's record-long government shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security had already acquired two Gulfstream jets for $200 million.

“It has come to our attention that, in the midst of a federal shutdown, the United States Coast Guard signed a single-source agreement with Gulfstream Aerospace to procure two new G700 luxury jets to facilitate travel for you and the deputy, at a cost to the public of $200 million,” Democratic lawmakers wrote in a letter to the DHS.

A DHS spokesperson informed the outlet that some details in the report about the aircraft acquisitions were incorrect but refused to offer additional clarification.

The legislature had earlier authorized the so-called “major immigration bill” in the summer, which allocates roughly $170bn for immigration-related and border security operations, a sum that makes Immigration and Customs Enforcement the most well-funded federal agency in the US government.

In September, it was reported that the government was moving individuals detained as part of its removal program in ways that breached their legal rights, often by air.

Leaked data examined from private airline GlobalX detailed the journeys of tens of thousands of immigrants who have been shuttled around the country before deportation.