EUGENE, Ore. — Avelo Airlines is under fire nationwide — and here in Oregon — after signing a new contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate long-term deportation flights. Although the airline’s ICE-related flights will be based in Mesa, Arizona, the partnership has ignited protests and calls for a boycott from immigrant rights advocates, particularly in communities where Avelo operates, like Eugene.
The controversy has thrust Avelo into the middle of a national immigration debate, as critics accuse the airline of profiting from family separation and aligning with the Trump administration’s immigration agenda. A growing online petition has already garnered more than 30,000 signatures from people pledging to stop flying with the airline.
“We call upon all local and visiting travelers to join together and refuse to support a company that actively profits from family separation by boycotting Avelo Airlines,” said Kaleigh Bronson, a speaker at an anti-ICE rally on April 12.
Despite the backlash, the airline said the contract with ICE is financially necessary to maintain and expand its commercial service across the country…