Protests were held Sunday morning at BWI-Marshall Airport over an airline providing flights for Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation efforts.
Dozens of protesters gathered Sunday morning at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to voice their opposition to Avelo Airlines’ role in providing flights for Immigration Customs Enforcement’s deportation efforts, highlighting concerns over transparency and accountability.
The organization Indivisible and several local organizations marched, saying Avelo has a $150 million contract with the federal government to run deportation flights for ICE, transporting detainees to other facilities out of state.
“We have an opportunity as Marylanders to stand up for our immigrant neighbors, coworkers families and friends,” said Jennifer, with Indivisible.
Jennifer emphasized the importance of taxpayer awareness, telling 11 News: “I think it’s really important for, especially, taxpayers to be aware of the fact that because Avelo is privately funded, there’s a lack of transparency for Marylanders and for Americans throughout the country.”
The protesters called on Gov. Wes Moore to end Avelo’s passenger flights out of BWI-Marshall.
The governor’s office sent a statement to 11 News, saying: “We are aware of reporting on health and safety issues aboard flights conducting deportation operations from other airports, and are assessing all available options to ensure any such flights using BWI facilities are being operated safely and lawfully.”
Protesters claim that last month, Avelo conducted 20% of all ICE Air flights, but there is no data on who was on board, where they went or why they were being detained.
“There’s a small percentage of the population that could be considered the worst of the worst, but without data coming out from them, that’s difficult to determine,” Jennifer told 11 News. “We do know what parents, kids, grandparents, are being sent out of our state and outside of our country and they need to have due process.”
Organizers said the protest is part of a nationwide campaign called “Ground Avelo,” and they suggest several ways Maryland residents can support immigrants in the state.
“We are here for our immigrant communities in every way we can be, and it can be as simple as signing a petition, it can be as simple as going to food pantries and providing assistance there, it can be as simple as doing court accompaniments to make sure that due process is being given to the people that are detained and sent elsewhere,” Jennifer told 11 News.
The protesters collected 4,000 signatures on a petition they plan to send to the governor.
