Protests Surge Against Avelo’s Deportation Flights Deal with ICE

Organizations such as Immigrant Allies Forum, Indivisible Wilmington, and the Wilmington Chapter of Democratic Socialists of America recently rallied along the passage to Wrightsville Beach. The intent behind their gathering was to encourage vacationers to ‘align their actions with their principles.’ The rally location was set strategically to ensure maximum outreach to the travelers regarding Avelo’s controversial agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for executing deportation flights, as described by one of the coordinators.

As per the claims, Avelo has been receiving financial support from county funds for promoting Wilmington and other spots as favorable tourist destinations. The protestors express concerns that travelers might not be conscious of the moral implications when purchasing low-cost tickets. Avelo Airlines, a cash-effective carrier, is functioning across 23 states in the U.S.

In April, Wilmington became a new operational base for the airline, which eventually led to a series of protests in the city, questioning their association with ICE. The initial opposition against Avelo took place in May, right in front of the airport. However, this week marks the launch of a concerted national movement, aiming to exert economic backlash against the airlines in reaction to the deal.

The protest has taken a nationwide form, involving several cities across the U.S. where Avelo has established its presence. One protestor highlighted Avelo Airlines’ uniqueness as a commercial airline with a contract agreement with ICE, performing deportation flights from Arizona to El Salvador. The protestor advocated for a complete boycott of the airline given its practices.

Although getting a consensus regarding immigration issue and swaying people’s convictions on the matter is challenging, campaigners on local and national scales are urging passengers to reconsider their airline choice. According to a protestor, there are apparent signs of success in their attempts, as Avelo recently canceled some of its flights and reduced some of its routes in various parts of the nation, not explicitly in Wilmington.

The activists harbor hopes that their local endeavors could ultimately trigger larger transformations. In defense, Avelo justifies its collaboration with ICE as a necessity for financial stability. An executive from one of the supporting groups took a step further and demanded public record from the New Hanover County Airport Authority regarding Avelo’s funding.

After a two-month wait, the Deputy Airport Director clarified that the Airport Authority neither allocated funds to Avelo nor approved any budget revisions for them. He provided a copy of standard lease agreement for Avelo, identical to all operating airlines at ILM, and gave details about the authority’s incentive program accessible to all airlines.

However, following multiple email exchanges, an admission came about local marketing money being spent on promotional activities for Avelo flights and ILM Airport once Avelo commenced its operations. It’s confirmed that Avelo’s presence has considerably influenced the local economy ever since it began operating.

On the note of Avelo’s economic effect, one of the protestors questioned its credit for stimulating so much economic action. The protestor argued against the reliability of data showcasing total tourist expenditure in New Hanover County to be $1.1 billion in 2023. The county’s annual GDP was reported to be below $20 billion in the last fiscal year, thus making Avelo’s claim questionable.

He further addressed the moral side of the issue asking whether monetizing other operations of Avelo is reason enough to neglect its inhumane deportation flights that are possibly illegal. The crux of the argument revolved around the absence of an ethical balance where potential profits undermined the moral responsibility towards deportation flights.

An introspective question was raised about the moral cost society was ready to pay if it decided to permit these deportation flights to persist. This ongoing debate tests the moral compass of the community, asking whether economic advantage justified sidestepping their civic and human responsibilities.