Wed Apr 30 01:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Connecticut Attorney General Slams Avelo Airlines Over ICE Deportation Flights
**Hartford, CT –** Avelo Airlines, a low-cost carrier with a major hub in Connecticut, is facing intense backlash for its agreement to conduct deportation flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has issued two warnings to the airline this month, citing concerns raised by a ProPublica report detailing flight attendants’ anxieties about the safety and treatment of shackled detainees.
The report revealed Avelo CEO Andrew Levy’s email to employees describing the ICE contract as “too valuable not to pursue,” a decision that led to the closure of a California base and route adjustments. This comes as Avelo benefits from a state fuel-tax moratorium set to expire in June.
Tong’s letters demand information about Avelo’s contract with ICE, including whether the airline will transport individuals despite court orders. Avelo’s response deflected the questions to federal agencies.
Public outcry is mounting. An online petition calling for a boycott has garnered nearly 35,000 signatures, and protests are planned across the country. State Senator Richard Blumenthal publicly condemned Avelo’s actions.
Connecticut Democrats are pushing to expand the state’s sanctuary law to penalize companies working with federal immigration authorities for detention or transportation purposes. The bill passed its House Judiciary Committee and awaits a full vote. Activists are urging lawmakers to allow the fuel-tax moratorium to expire. The controversy highlights the tension between economic incentives and ethical considerations surrounding government contracts and immigration enforcement.
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