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The feds are reportedly losing big bucks when they fly illegal immigrants back to their home countries.
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Auditors have discovered it costs millions of dollars.
The inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security looked at what is called ICE Air. It is the charter plane used by the feds to fly illegal immigrants back to their home countries after they have been ordered to be removed from the United States.
Each of the eight planes can carry up to 135 detainees.
On average, an ICE Air flight costs about $8,400 per hour. Whether the flight has 135 passengers or 1, that is how much the government pays every hour one of those planes is in the air.
The money pays for the aircraft, the pilot, flight crew, security personnel, the flight nurse, and maintenance services. It also pays for insurance, fuel, fees and taxes.
According to the auditors, poor planning by the Department of Homeland Security means those flights often have empty seats. Those empty seats cost the federal government $41 million over a three and a half year period.
Auditors found other problems as well.
More than 23,000 detainees were listed as being picked up or dropped off at locations that were not on the charter flight route.
For example, 54 detainees were recorded as being removed to Nicaragua when the plane only stopped in Louisiana, Texas and Guatemala.
Auditors also found ICE often did not note a detainee's criminal status or gang affiliation.
ICE said it was working to fix the problems.
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