$915 million DHS "Self-Deportation" Contract to 2-year-old firm with no federal contractor history Challenged as Secretive and "Unlawful"

Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security awarded a huge aviation contract—potentially worth up to $915 million—to a newly formed firm that had no prior experience with federal contracts. The process leading to that award has drawn sharp criticism for being opaque, rushed, and possibly unfair.

The contract was awarded to Salus Worldwide Solutions, a company founded by former State Department official William Walters. The contract is aimed at arranging flights to carry migrants back to their home countries under a program the administration calls Project Homecoming, which offers migrants who self‑deport certain incentives, including a $1,000 “exit bonus” and free transportation. Some of the funding comes from money Congress initially earmarked for foreign aid and refugee assistance, but which is being redirected to this purpose.

A longtime federal contractor, CSI Aviation, has filed a lawsuit alleging that DHS rushed through the procurement process, broke competitive rules, and essentially sidelined potential rivals. According to the complaint, DHS initially planned to grant the contract without competition. Only late in the process was the solicitation opened—but for just two business days, a timeframe the lawsuit describes as unreasonably short. The complaint contends that DHS excluded many qualified firms, including CSI, from meaningful participation. 

In internal DHS records obtained by journalists, Christopher Pratt, who ran the DHS office overseeing this contract until September, is shown to have had close connections to Walters. Before the award, Pratt scheduled department offsite meetings at the Salus office, and he personally congratulated Walters when Salus won. Pratt and Walters have not publicly answered inquiries about their roles. 

Salus, according to public filings, started only in 2023 and reportedly had just a few employees at the time the contract was announced. It also labeled itself a Women Owned Business in federal contracting registrations—a designation that it quietly removed days after questions were raised. Walters previously led a unit at the State Department, the Bureau of Medical Services, which executed high-risk evacuations abroad. Several colleagues from that unit have joined him at Salus. 

The administration’s goal with this deal is to accelerate migrant removals. Under Project Homecoming, migrants who opt to use a CBP (Customs and Border Protection) app to self‑deport and accept the exit bonus are flown back voluntarily. How many people have actually accepted the offer so far is unclear. But if the program expands, Salus stands to gain considerably. 

DHS has defended the deal by saying it followed procurement laws and underwent internal oversight, but it declined to comment on the procurement process or motivations behind contractor selection. 

This controversy is unfolding amid broader scrutiny of DHS contracting under the current leadership. Secretary Kristi Noem recently instituted a policy requiring her personal approval for any contract greater than $100,000—an approach that critics say is bogging down legitimate procurement work. Additionally, Noem and her advisor Corey Lewandowskihave been implicated in influencing contract awards tied to the self‑deportation campaign, including ad campaigns and tech contracts, though the full extent of their involvement remains in dispute. 

In sum, critics argue the Salus contract typifies a pattern in which political connections, expedited timelines, and nontransparent procedures raise serious questions about fairness, accountability, and the integrity of how DHS is executing its migrant removal policies.

Source: POGO