Tag: muscle cars

The White House is spending more than $120,000 to buy two Ford Mustang GT muscle cars in what it says is part of a “compelling” and “urgent” need to use the cars to entice people to join the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, also known as ICE.

The vehicles were part of “an immediate request by the White House, on Thursday, August 7, 2025,” according to the federal justification-and-approval documents, which also explain why the contract was awarded to a Washington, D.C.-area Ford dealership without using the typical competitive bidding process.

“The agency’s need for the services is so urgent and compelling that providing full and open competition would result in unacceptable delays and seriously hinder the Government’s recruiting initiative,” the documents read. It listed the price for the pair of vehicles at $121,450.

Ford Motor Co. declined to comment on the federal government’s purchase of the cars.

The owner of the dealership from which the government purchased the cars, Banister Ford of Marlow Heights, confirmed the sale of the two 2025 Mustang GTs to the federal government. The cars were delivered to the government a couple of weeks ago, just days after the request was made, Dan Banister, owner of Banister Automotive — which owns the Ford store in Suitland, Maryland — told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

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“I didn’t know it was the White House. Donald Trump didn’t call me,” Banister said of the government’s purchase of the cars. “The way they found us was, we had to register with the federal government to be a provider of vehicles. We offer government discounts. Many times, it’s a bidding process, but it looks like they were in a pinch and needed cars right away.”

Banister’s store had what ICE was looking for in those vehicles already in its inventory.

‘Eye-catching design’ will attract recruits

As part of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” last month, Congress approved $30 billion for an ICE hiring spree to add some 14,000 immigration officers. According to the federal procurement documents, the agency intends to do the recruiting over the next two fiscal years.

But low morale has plagued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel due to the high expectations, shifting priorities and job insecurity, according to published reports. In a July 10 report in The Atlantic, it said: “Officers and agents have spent much of the past five months clocking weekends and waking up at 4 a.m. for predawn raids. Their top leaders have been ousted or demoted, and their supervisors — themselves under threat of being fired — are pressuring them to make more and more arrests to meet quotas set by the Trump adviser Stephen Miller.”

ICE, which initially prioritized catching criminals, has shifted its attention to civil immigration arrests under President Donald Trump. That has meant nabbing asylum seekers at court hearings or chasing day laborers through Home Depot parking lots “as angry onlookers attempt to shame ICE officers with obscenities, and activists try to dox them, officers are retreating further behind masks and tactical gear,” The Atlantic reported.

The government believes using Mustang GTs at recruitment events will bolster the job’s appeal.

“The Ford Mustang GT enhances recruitment efforts in support of the USC Title 8 mission and HR 1 OBBBA recruiting, by serving as a bold, high-performance symbol of innovation, strength and modern federal service,” according to the federal procurement documents. “Its eye-catching design increases public engagement at outreach events and helps attract top talent by conveying a culture of excellence and forward momentum.”

This purchase comes after ICE spent more than $700,000 to customize a group of SUVs and pickup trucks to be used for recruitment, according to published reports last week. That included a Ford Raptor and a GMC Yukon that were “tricked out to mimic the look of Donald Trump’s private Boeing 757,” The Independent reported. It means they’re painted navy blue, with red-and-white racing stripes and a gold ICE logo — the same color scheme of Trump’s aircraft.

The words “President Donald J. Trump” are printed in gold on the rear window along with “Defend the homeland” on the side. The trucks cost more than $500,000, with another $227,000 spent on custom automotive wraps, The Independent reported, citing federal procurement records.

Needed immediately

According to The Independent — which was first to report this story — one of the Mustangs has already been seen around D.C. on Monday evening, Aug. 18, “with a gold ICE logo and the words ‘Defend the homeland’ on the side.”

In the government documents it said the cars will be used to transport staff and materials for recruitment events, career fairs and recruitment initiatives at various locations.

“Without timely access to these resources, our ability to attract and onboard qualified candidates will be severely hindered, ultimately impacting the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission,” the document said of needing to buy the Mustangs without a bidding process.

The government documents said Banister Ford of Marlow Heights was in a position to fulfill this requirement quickly because it had immediate availability of vehicles that “fully meet ICE’s specifications.” It added that “failure to approve this (Justification and Approval) request will result in significant disruption to ICE’s recruitment efforts.”

How Banister got the sale

Banister, who said his store is about a 25-minute drive southeast of the White House, had no idea his customer was ICE.

“We sell to a wide range of customers including individuals, businesses and government agencies. We don’t take any political position on who purchases a vehicle,” Banister, who owns four other dealerships that sell other brands in the Virginia area, told the Detroit Free Press. “We just want to provide a quality vehicle with professional service.”

Banister said the Mustangs are powerful cars that are fun to drive but “I don’t know that would make people want to join ICE or not? I guess if I’m going out there trying to hire people to work and I bring a nice sporty car out there, that would get people to come talk to me.”

Banister said it was likely just luck that his dealership got this sale, but he said he is honored.

“It just happened they saw our name in there and contacted us and I thought it was an honor,” Banister said. “I love being in a position where we can help and the Mustang is a great vehicle.”

Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford Mustangs chosen by White House to boost ICE agent recruitment