Coast Guard Pushes Back As Flight Data Sparks Scrutiny

The Coast Guard flew hundreds of domestic migrant transfer missions over two fiscal years yet insists no lifesaving operations were sacrificed.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem directed the Coast Guard to expand support for domestic migrant transfer flights in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 as part of the administration’s immigration enforcement strategy.

The Coast Guard told Military.com on Wednesday that crews transported 9,805 migrants during 886 sorties using C-130 Hercules and C-27 Spartan aircraft. Officials said total aviation hours in FY 2025 remained below the 10-year average and no search-and-rescue, counternarcotics or homeland defense missions were delayed or reassigned.

Military.com reached out for comment to DHS, the White House, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Government Accountability Office, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center.

Coast Guard officials described the flights as routine use of multi-mission aircraft rather than a shift in operational priorities.

“Coast Guard aircraft are multi-mission aircraft, and as such, support for the national transport of illegal aliens mission is measured in sorties,” a Coast Guard spokesperson told Military.com. “During this timeframe, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted 886 sorties, transporting 9,805 illegal alien.”

A sortie is a single operational flight. Officials said crews relied on C-130 and C-27 aircraft on an as-needed basis. Both platforms routinely conduct search-and-rescue, maritime patrol and logistics missions.

Flight Totals Draw National Attention

The spokesperson rejected suggestions that aviation tempo surged beyond historical norms.

“Average USCG flight hours over the last 10 years are 104,810 per fiscal year,” USCG told Military.com. “Total FY25 flight hours were 90,374.”

Officials also dismissed claims that migrant transfer support affected core missions.

When asked whether search-and-rescue, counternarcotics or homeland defense missions were delayed, the spokesperson said they were not.

The service reported 5,220 lives saved, 19,437 people assisted, and more than $1.02 billion in property protected in 2025.

Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, described search-and-rescue as a “sacred trust” and said aviation assets remain ready for lifesaving operations, disaster response and drug interdiction, while also supporting immigration enforcement when directed.

USCG added that reporting suggesting aircraft were diverted from a missing crewmember search to conduct a removal flight was “categorically false,” stating that all available resources, including a C-130 aircraft, supported the search effort.

ICE Clarifies Scope of Aviation Support

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed coordination with the Coast Guard but said its involvement was limited to domestic transfers.

“President [Donald] Trump and Secretary Noem are using every tool available to get criminal illegal aliens out of American communities and out of our country,” an ICE spokesperson told Military.com. “ICE Air Operations relies on commercial and charter aircraft for removal flights, and the U.S. Coast Guard supports domestic transfer movements only.”

ICE Air Operations manages the agency’s charter network, transporting migrants between detention facilities inside the United States and conducting international removal flights abroad.

The broader use of military aircraft in immigration operations has drawn attention across services. Air Force personnel assigned to deportation missions were previously directed to remove name tapes and unit patches during certain flights—a policy officials said was tied to safety considerations.

ICE deferred cost comparison questions to the Coast Guard.

Oversight Questions Continue

The Government Accountability Office acknowledged Military.com’s inquiry and said it maintains work related to homeland security mission tradeoffs and aviation readiness. GAO conducts audits at the request of Congress and has previously examined Coast Guard fleet modernization and maintenance backlogs.

Lawmakers have also raised concerns about a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure maintenance backlog across the Coast Guard, which some members of Congress have cited in broader readiness debates.

Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations operates its own aviation fleet supporting border security and interdiction missions.

The Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security as both a military service and federal law enforcement agency. Its aviation fleet supports search-and-rescue, maritime safety, drug interdiction, disaster response and homeland defense missions in addition to immigration-related support when directed.