- The ship-deportation idea remains a proposal, with no vessel, route or receiving country confirmed.
- Officials have discussed ferries and the Training Ship Golden Bear, a retired California vessel roughly five hundred feet long.
- A former ICE official warned that detention at sea raises legal and safety concerns, including emergency response and jurisdiction.
The Trump administration is weighing deportation voyages by ship to Central and South America, but the idea remains a proposal. No vessel has been formally assigned, and no route has been announced.
Discussions have continued for several weeks. Potential destinations include El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela.
A Department of Homeland Security official said the plan was hypothetical and that “no decisions had been made.” The department has not described the idea as an adopted policy.
The administration has not secured public agreement from a receiving country. That leaves the proposal without a confirmed destination.
The agency says it is examining available resources
The Department of Homeland Security said it was “assessing all our resources, to maximize efficiency and continue to deliver on President [Donald] Trump’s mission of securing the homeland for all Americans.” The statement did not explain why officials are considering ships.
The proposal could move some operational and financial responsibility from DHS to the Department of Defense. The Pentagon has not commented publicly.
That division would shape who handles the vessels, security and cost. The discussions have not settled those responsibilities.
A retired California training vessel is among the possibilities
Officials have discussed ferries and the Training Ship Golden Bear, a roughly 500-foot vessel docked in California. Department of Defense officials have also contacted shipping companies in Europe about other potential ships.
The Golden Bear previously trained students at the Cal Poly Maritime Academy. It completed its final training voyage in 2026, then went to the U.S. Maritime Administration for retirement.
The contemplated trips could take several days. They could also require large security teams and cost millions of dollars per trip, potentially far more than deportation flights.
Those costs would include moving people over long distances while providing security aboard ship. The proposal could therefore shift spending as well as operational duties between federal departments.
A former ICE official warns of shipboard detention risks
Claire Trickler-McNulty, a former senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official, called the idea “prison ships.” She also worked at the Department of Homeland Security under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
“What ICE is functionally contemplating is prison ships.”
“That raises serious concerns at every step.”
Trickler-McNulty said transporting people through international waters for days raises “hard questions about which laws apply and who has jurisdiction if something goes wrong.” She warned that holding hundreds of people aboard a ship would pose “an enormous operational and safety challenge.”
The questions extend from confinement to emergencies. Officials would need to determine who responds if someone needs urgent care or another problem arises at sea.
The proposal leaves basic questions about voyages unanswered
The discussions have not resolved several practical and legal issues:
- Whether migrants would stay aboard for the full voyage.
- How officials would arrange sleeping quarters and medical care.
- What legal authority would permit the government to use or compel vessels.
- Which agency would handle emergencies in international waters.
- Whether destination countries would accept people deported by ship.
These issues would affect the voyage from departure through arrival. They also touch on the jurisdiction concerns Trickler-McNulty raised.
No ship or route has been formally designated
As of October 9, 2026, the idea remains at an early stage. No vessel has been formally assigned, no route has been announced and no receiving country has publicly agreed to accept deportees under the arrangement.
The administration has already used military aircraft for deportations and pursued other detention and third-country-removal arrangements. A maritime plan would add another possible method to that broader deportation effort.
