A budget airline that was helping President Trump execute deportations has surrendered to radical leftist pressure, abandoning its patriotic duty to support lawful immigration enforcement and leaving ICE scrambling for alternatives.

Activist Campaign Forces Corporate Retreat

Avelo Airlines, a Houston-based ultra-low-cost carrier, capitulated to sustained leftist pressure by terminating its contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The airline had been operating full-aircraft deportation flights from Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona, providing crucial support for President Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts. CEO Andrew Levy admitted in internal communications that the contract “put us in the middle of a political fight,” revealing how corporate America continues to bow to woke mob tactics rather than support lawful government operations.

The decision represents a troubling victory for radical immigration activists who targeted Avelo with coordinated harassment campaigns. Groups like the New Haven Immigrant Coalition and Gen-Z for Change organized protests in cities where Avelo operates, launched digital tools to disrupt the company’s recruitment efforts, and placed billboard advertisements linking vacation travel to deportations. These tactics demonstrate how extremist organizations systematically attack any business that dares to assist legitimate law enforcement operations.

Economic Justification Masks Political Surrender

While Avelo spokesperson Courtney Goff claimed the deportation contract failed to generate “consistent and reliable revenue” relative to operational complexity, the real story lies in corporate cowardice. The airline originally entered the ICE contract seeking financial security through government work, but folded when faced with reputational pressure from progressive groups. This pattern reveals how American businesses increasingly prioritize appeasing radical activists over supporting constitutional law enforcement and national sovereignty.

Paid protestors? Who can I pay to be as effective as the left? In this Spy Stream by @DrKarlynB watch Indivisible, a progressive grassroots political movement celebrate their success at getting Avelo Airlines to cut ties with ICE. Listen to their plans for 2026 and learn https://t.co/B1pyGSGbeV pic.twitter.com/YY9A5oCrJO

— Mari⁷ ⟭⟬E ARE B⟬⟭CK (@MaryRissen) January 8, 2026

The flight attendants’ union welcomed the decision, claiming crew members hadn’t “signed up for” deportation flights. This union opposition further illustrates how organized labor has been captured by leftist ideology that views immigration enforcement as inherently illegitimate. Rather than supporting their government’s efforts to remove illegal aliens who violated our laws, union leaders chose to side with open-borders advocates who want to undermine American sovereignty.

ICE Operations Face New Obstacles

Avelo’s withdrawal creates immediate logistical challenges for ICE deportation operations, forcing the agency to reallocate missions to charter providers and other carriers. According to Associated Press reporting, over 80% of deportation flights already rely on charter operators, but Avelo was the only commercial airline routinely running full-plane removal operations. This specialized role made the company’s defection particularly damaging to Trump administration enforcement capabilities.

The Department of Homeland Security has responded by moving toward greater self-reliance, signing a $140 million contract to purchase six Boeing 737s specifically for deportation operations. This shift toward government-owned aircraft represents a necessary adaptation to corporate America’s unwillingness to support immigration enforcement, but it increases taxpayer costs while reducing operational flexibility that commercial partnerships provided.

Sources:

Key airline used by Trump for deportations cuts ties with ICE

DHS Signs $140 Million Contract to Buy Six Boeing 737s for Deportation Operations

Spirit Airlines to reject 27 Airbus aircraft leases under new AerCap deal

Spirit Airlines furloughs another 365 pilots