DHS Rushed $915 Million Deportation Contract, Lawsuit Says (1)

A federal court should halt Salus Worldwide Solutions Corp.'s $915 million air services contract to carry out deportations because the US Department of Homeland Security moved too quickly to award it, CSI Aviation Inc. says.

The department ignored regulatory standards and competition requirements and didn’t justify selecting Salus on an urgent basis, CSI told the US Court of Federal Claims in a complaint made public on Wednesday.

CSI said the court should force the department to conduct a fair contract competition or at least bar Salus from performing for more than one year.

The department in February began market research to find a contractor to help with voluntary deportations, the complaint said. This effort followed President Donald Trump’s executive order stating that the department should ensure the removal of immigrants lacking permanent legal status from the United States and encourage them to leave voluntarily.

On May 15, the department issued a justification and approval document that said the department would issue a three-year contract valued at $915 million without full and open competition, because of immediate removal needs, complaint said. The department issued a request for proposals on May 17 to a “predetermined” pool of vendors the department invited to an industry day event, and selected Salus on May 19.

CSI said it contacted the department to express interest in submitting a proposal, as it has provided air operations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement for two decades, but didn’t get a response.

According to CSI, the department’s decision to limit the competition because of alleged unusual and compelling urgency violated the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Nothing in the president’s executive order and related proclamations required the department to award the contract as quickly as it did, CSI said.

The generalized interest to improve relations with international allies—a reason the department cited—isn’t sufficient to justify skipping a full and open competition, the complaint said.

And there’s no excuse, CSI said, for the department limiting its market research efforts, and not soliciting offers from any contractor beyond those it pre-selected.

The department clearly violated the FAR by failing to seek a bid from CSI, a contractor that performed similar work for other government agencies and expressed interest in competing, the complaint said.

Counsel for Salus declined to comment. The US Department of Justice didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Greenberg Traurig LLP represents CSI. Miller & Chevalier Chartered represents Salus.

The case is CSI Aviation Inc. v. United States, Fed. Cl., No. 1:25-cv-01338, complaint 8/13/25.