Boycott Avelo: End ICE Deportation Flights

The shocking news that Avelo airlines in East Haven signed a contract with ICE for deportation flights brought urgent demands to Andrew Levy, Avelo’s CEO, that the company stop or else lose customers and state financial support.

“Making money off of dehumanizing people isn’t good business. It’s despicable.” said the New Haven Immigrant Coalition. In one week, more than 32,000 supporters signed an on-line pledge to boycott Avelo until they cancel ICE flights.

Reports indicate passengers are shackled at their hands and feet. Flight attendants are told not to make eye contact. Pilots and guards have told flight attendants that in case of emergency, evacuate guards but there is no plan to evacuate shackled passengers.

The Mayor of New Haven, Governor and Attorney General have spoken out and an investigation of public finds is underway. Supporters are rallying in large numbers at Tweed Airport in New Haven, and at other Avelo hub regions.

“Together, we can show corporations motivated entirely by greed that we won’t be silent in the face of their complicity. We won’t pay for their services while they profit from transporting shackled people to prisons in countries known for their human rights abuses.,” said the Coalition.

In related actions, demands grow to release Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, sheetmetal worker and father, to the United States after being mistakenly deported to a high security prison in El Salvador. .

Gwen Mills, president of Unite Here said “Both a federal judge and the Supreme Court have ordered the White House to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return home, but the Administration is arguing they can’t return him because he is in Salvadoran custody. The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) is leading the call for his return. Tens of thousands of UNITE HERE members are immigrants like Abrego Garcia. We work hard every day to support our families and expect our fundamental rights to be respected.”

Mills urged calls to members of Congress asking they publicly call on the White House to return Abrego Gardia to his family.