Connecticut’s attorney general recently issued a second warning within a month to Avelo Airlines, a low-cost carrier, highlighting the potential risks to their tax benefits and local support due to their agreement to conduct deportation flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Democratic legislators in Connecticut are simultaneously taking steps to amend the state’s sanctuary law to hold companies like Avelo accountable for collaborating with federal immigration authorities. The opposition arose after Avelo, headquartered in Texas, signed an agreement to allocate three of its 20 aircraft for deportation flights as part of ICE Air’s charter network. This move followed a ProPublica report cited by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong in a letter dated April 8, where concerns were raised by flight attendants about the treatment and safety of detainees aboard such flights, particularly regarding the evacuation of individuals in restraints.
Attorney General Tong inquired in his letter whether Avelo could assure that flights would not operate with non-violent passengers in restraints such as shackles or handcuffs and that there would always be a secure evacuation plan for all passengers.
In a subsequent public statement on April 15, Tong reiterated these concerns. Additionally, CEO Andrew Levy’s communication with Avelo employees on April 3 highlighted the financial incentive behind the ICE contract, deemed essential during a period of financial losses and declining consumer confidence. As part of this shift, Avelo plans to close its base in Sonoma County, California, adjust flight schedules, and base deportation flights in Mesa, Arizona, commencing in May.
Avelo, which operates a major hub in New Haven, recently expanded to Bradley International Airport near Hartford. The airline secured a two-year fuel-tax moratorium in 2023 after a lobbying effort.
At a recent rally outside the New Haven airport, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, addressing a crowd of almost 300, urged Avelo to reconsider its decision. Public resistance is also gaining momentum, exemplified by an online petition demanding that Avelo abandon its ICE contract, amassing nearly 35,000 signatures since it began on April 6. Protests are spreading beyond Connecticut to other cities serviced by the airline.
Tong has requested a copy of Avelo’s ICE Air contract and questioned whether they would carry out deportations against court orders, drawing attention to a recent case involving another airline, GlobalX, which did not respond to inquiry requests, similar to ICE.
In response, Levy suggested that further details regarding the ICE Air contract should be sought through a public records request. He guided further inquiries regarding restraint use and evacuation procedures to the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration, respectively, while affirming Avelo’s commitment to public safety and legal compliance.
An Avelo spokesperson expressed that the airline routinely complies with protocols from DHS and FAA, regardless of political administration. Meanwhile, legislation to broaden Connecticut’s sanctuary law has passed the House Judiciary Committee, despite partisan objections, and awaits a full vote. This legislation would require companies, including airlines, to pledge not to collaborate with federal immigration authorities in handling individuals.
Avelo’s current fuel-tax exemption is set to expire on June 30, with no current legislative efforts underway to renew it. Activists are urging state lawmakers to allow the tax break to lapse.
