By Steve Neavling
ICE is seeking to spend more than $2.4 million on SUVs and flashy vehicle wraps emblazoned with “DEFEND THE HOMELAND,” according to government records and contractors, The Washington Post reports.
Documents made public this week show ICE proposed paying $2.25 million to Hendrick Motorsports in North Carolina for 25 Chevrolet Tahoes and another $174,000 to three companies for custom wrapping of Tahoes, Ford Expeditions and other vehicles. The agency said the wraps were “essential for officers to provide support and a law enforcement presence in DC” and described the purchases as urgent to support President Donald Trump’s campaign to make the capital “one of the safest cities in the world.”
The records also detail $695,330 in vehicle purchases and wraps to boost ICE’s recruiting efforts under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. Among them are two Ford Raptors, two GMC Yukon AT4s and two Ford Mustang GTs. The Mustangs, costing $121,450, were described as “an immediate request by the White House, on Thursday August 7, 2025” and pitched as recruitment tools.
“Its eye-catching design increases public engagement at outreach events and helps attract top talent by conveying a culture of excellence and forward momentum,” the agency wrote.
The proposals follow Trump’s declaration of a crime emergency in Washington, which put the D.C. police under federal control and deployed National Guard troops alongside officers. The White House said the operation has led to more than 550 arrests and 76 firearms seized, though officials have declined to release detailed data.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions Wednesday. But one contractor said the agency wanted the work done quickly.
“I think it’s the right thing to do,” said George Perantonakis, 69, of Beltsville, Maryland, who owns PCFIX INC. “It’s obvious he’s getting a lot of things done.”
Nick Beyer of Absolute Perfection, another company awarded a contract, said “a lot of government agencies come to us,” including the military and state police. His company recently posted a time-lapse video of its wrap work set to Trump’s rally favorite “Y.M.C.A.”
