On Wednesday, the budget airline carrier Avelo announced that it would terminate the long-term contract it had entered into in April 20024 with the Department of Homeland Security to carry out deportation flights.
The company has argued to some news outlets, including NPR affiliate WHYY in Philadelphia, that it never contracted with ICE directly, and was instead a subcontractor for CSI Aviation, currently the main airline contractor for ICE deportation flights. The distinction appears largely immaterial; since signing the contract in April, Avelo has carried out over a thousand immigration-related flights, according to ICE Flight Monitor data.
Avelo’s participation in the program sparked political pushback and public protests nationwide, including in Wilmington…