Avelo Airlines Under Fire for ICE Deportation Flights; Rochester Leaders Call for County Review

Avelo Airlines, a budget carrier that recently began service at Rochester’s Frederick Douglass–Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC), is facing backlash over a new agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct deportation flights starting May 12. The partnership has drawn widespread criticism across the country — and now, local condemnation.

Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart is leading the charge, urging County Executive Adam Bello to scrutinize the county’s ties to Avelo and reconsider its relationship with the airline.

Avelo currently operates flights from ROC to destinations like Raleigh-Durham and Orlando. Under the ICE agreement, however, the airline will also use three Boeing 737-800 aircraft based in Mesa, Arizona, to carry out deportation flights both domestically and internationally. These flights are part of federal enforcement actions originally launched under the Trump administration.

“This airport bears the name of Frederick Douglass,” Barnhart said in a statement on Monday. “What would he think of Monroe County partnering with an airline that profits from tearing families apart and sending people to foreign prisons — often without due process?”

Barnhart cited a ProPublica investigation that revealed ICE’s use of restraints during deportation flights — practices that could jeopardize passenger safety in emergencies. She also referenced court rulings declaring several Trump-era deportation methods unlawful, adding weight to her concerns.

“As federal judges have already ruled, many of these deportation practices were illegal,” Barnhart said. “Avelo Airlines knows exactly what it’s doing: profiting off human suffering. Shame on them.”

Barnhart, along with Monroe County Legislature Vice-President Mercedes Vazquez-Simmons, has formally requested a review of the county’s financial agreements with Avelo. They aim to determine whether public funds or incentives have been granted to the airline, and whether the county has any leverage to pressure Avelo into cutting ties with ICE.

“Taxpayers should not be subsidizing an airline that collaborates with ICE,” Barnhart emphasized. “The county must examine its contracts and use any leverage it has to urge Avelo to walk away from these deportation flights.”

Meanwhile, a Change.org petition calling for a boycott of Avelo has amassed more than 25,000 signatures. Critics argue that the airline’s involvement in federal deportation efforts is not only inhumane but also racially and socially discriminatory.

In response, Avelo Airlines released a statement earlier this month defending the agreement as a business decision necessary to safeguard over 1,100 jobs and stabilize the company’s finances. The airline insisted the move was not politically motivated.

Still, local leaders say financial rationale does not excuse moral accountability.

“The CEO of Avelo says these ICE contracts are essential for the company’s survival,” Barnhart said. “But what about the survival of immigrants — our neighbors — who came here seeking a better life and are now being ripped from their homes and communities?”

As of now, the Monroe County Executive’s Office has not issued a public response to the call for a formal review.