Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem may be gone, but the consequences of her spending decisions remain parked in plain sight. Aircraft purchased during her tenure have become glaring symbols of taxpayer waste, with several barely being used.

On her way out, Noem bought a collection of planes as a favor to donor William Walters. Those aircraft were supposed to strengthen the administration’s deportation fleet, but the expensive hardware is now spending much of its time sitting idle.

According to Bloomberg, seven Boeing 737s purchased by Noem have conducted fewer than five flights each since April. Most of the planes are simply sitting on a tarmac in Louisiana rather than carrying out the mission used to justify buying them.

Part of the problem is remarkably basic. The Department of Homeland Security does not have enough trained personnel to operate the flights, making the decision to purchase the aircraft look even more detached from the department’s actual capabilities.

Most Immigration and Customs Enforcement flights are operated by private companies working under government contracts. Noem nevertheless committed taxpayer money to planes that the department was not properly staffed to use, leaving her successor with a costly and unnecessary puzzle.

Current Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is now trying to determine whether the planes can be used for something else. The search for a new purpose seemingly makes the aircraft available to administration officials looking for a luxury ride.

One Gulfstream that was ostensibly purchased for deportation operations is now being leased to FBI Director Kash Patel for 12 months. Patel was already using a $60 million government jet, including for trips connected to sporting events where his girlfriend performed the national anthem.

Grounding deportation planes might ordinarily sound like welcome news, especially if it reflected a reduction in removals. Unfortunately, the idle aircraft do not signal that the Trump administration has slowed its mass deportation operation.

In September, the administration conducted at least 331 removal flights to 38 countries. It also sharply increased domestic shuffle flights, which move people between detention centers in the United States and make it more difficult for their families and lawyers to locate them.

There is no evidence that the government has been unable to carry out its deportation agenda because it lacked enough aircraft. The planes bought under Noem therefore appear disconnected from any demonstrated operational shortage, even as the administration continues removals through other available flights.

Under President Donald Trump, the federal government has become the caricature that conservatives spent years using against Democrats. Money is being spent with little apparent reason, while the expensive results sit unused and officials scramble to find them another purpose.

The old conservative story about supposedly spendthrift Democratic administrations was always a myth. What is happening now is also profoundly different from the practices that remained in place across previous administrations from both parties.

Even Republican administrations committed to shrinking government and expanding military power made spending information available. Contracts were still placed up for bids, and Congress continued to have a role in overseeing how public money was distributed.

That structure has been pushed aside in favor of decisions made quickly and in secret. Noem received an enormous amount of money without meaningful checks and balances, producing staggering waste alongside the administration’s cruel immigration campaign.

Her spending included hiring bonuses for aggressive personnel and sweetheart deals benefiting cronies. She took full advantage of a system stripped of accountability, then departed while taxpayers were left paying for planes parked in Louisiana and searching for a mission.