Several local advocacy groups joined forces near Wrightsville Beach to send an important message to the holidaymakers. The Immigrant Allies Forum, Indivisible Wilmington, and the Wilmington Democratic Socialists of America participated in this protest. Their main aim was to expose the agreement Avelo made with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) early this year to run deportation flights. As per one activist, the location was deliberately chosen to spread awareness among a maximum number of people.
Avelo Airlines, a budget carrier that serves 23 states, has come under intense scrutiny for this deal. Within the year, Avelo established a new operational base in Wilmington, a move that has sparked citywide protests. The first of these demonstrations took place right outside the airport in May. However, the recent protest holds a special significance as it aligns with a national campaign designed to pressurize Avelo by affecting its commercial relationships.
Protesters devised this campaign to echo nationwide, particularly in cities where Avelo has a strong presence. A protester shed light on the core issue, stating that Avelo was the only commercial airline having a contract with ICE for deportation flights. This airline has been transporting people from Arizona to El Salvador. The protesters are thus urging people to boycott Avelo Airlines.
Despite opposing views on immigration, advocates maintain hopes of convincing people to at least change their airline preference. A protestor had encouraging news to share, revealing that some of their actions seemed to be making an impact. Even if Avelo’s operations in Wilmington remained unaffected, the airline had to shut down and curb services in some parts of the country.
Advocacy groups anticipate that their local endeavors will stimulate considerable changes. Reacting to these protests, Avelo defended its partnership with ICE on the grounds of financial stability. In the meantime, an activist from one of these groups launched a public records request against the New Hanover County Airport Authority to gain more clarity.
After several months, the Deputy Airport Director revealed that Avelo neither received funds from the Airport Authority nor had its budget revised. He also shared a copy of Avelo’s lease agreement, terming it as ‘standard,’ similar to the other airlines operating at ILM. He further disclosed the authority’s incentive program universally offered to all airlines.
A series of persistent email exchanges later confirmed that Avelo indeed benefitted from some funding directed towards local marketing. This funding was utilized to promote Avelo flights and ILM Airport ever since the airline began its operations. Undeniably, Avelo’s presence has contributed significantly to the local economy.
Nevertheless, such economic contributions often confront a barrage of ethical questions. One protestor found it tough to reconcile this with the fact that the entire tourist expenditure in New Hanover County surged to $1.1 billion in 2023. The county’s full annual GDP didn’t cross the $20 billion mark in the most recent fiscal year, leading the protestor to question the credits assigned to Avelo.
He further expressed his doubts about Avelo’s role in such economic activity. Regardless of the financial impact, he reminded everyone of the primary ethical issue at hand: the airline’s role in conducting arguably unlawful and inhumane deportation flights. He questioned if the merits of Avelo’s other ventures could justify turning a blind eye to these questionable activities.
Highlighting the moral implications, the protestor underscored the need to ponder over the acceptance of such flights solely based on potential financial gain. He encouraged the public to reconsider the practice of measuring morality with a price tag. His urging implied that the continuation of deportation flights would point to the community’s indifference towards such ethical issues.
The post Advocacy Groups Protest Avelo Airlines for Collaborating with ICE appeared first on Real News Now.
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