Lea Jones makes signs in his Eugene kitchen and sends messages through his Facebook page urging friends near and far to take action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Avelo Airlines.
He has been fighting cancer for five years and has physical limitations that keep him from marching in large protests. He says that he would usually be out playing music and doing fun things, but since President Donald Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20, “We are in disastrous situations,” he says.
Jones says his fight against cancer has given him time and inspiration to think about what he can do — including fight ICE and Avelo.
Many are pleased with Avelo’s July 14 announcement that it will be shrinking its West Coast operations — including leaving Eugene Dec. 1. “I think this is the first step, for sure,” says Anne Bridgman, spokesperson for the Avelo Out of EUG campaign. “There is more work to be done.”
The Coalition to Stop Avelo and Avelo Out of EUG are two campaigns formed nationally and locally urging people to speak out against and boycott Avelo, which contracts with ICE to operate deportation flights. Protesters have been marching regularly, visiting Eugene Airport and reaching out to the Eugene City Council since May.
Matthew Boulay, a member of The Coalition to Stop Avelo, says Avelo and ICE entered into a contract in early April, with Avelo starting to operate deportation flights May 12 from Arizona. According to Boulay, the estimated contract with ICE is up to $150 million. He says that Avelo hasn’t flown deportation flights from Eugene Airport.
Avelo Airlines is a private Houston, Texas-based company that offers ultra low-cost commercial flights. It previously operated as Casino Express Airlines and Xtra Airways providing charter flights until it rebranded and started flying as Avelo in 2021.
“Despite the investment of significant time, resources and efforts, our West Coast operations have not produced the results necessary to continue our presence there,” says Courtney Goff, Avelo’s communications manager. In a statement, the company says that economics is the reason for leaving Eugene and other cities in Oregon. Goff says Avelo will also be closing down its base at Hollywood Burbank Airport later this year after reducing operations August 12.
According to The Airline Observer, an online newsletter covering the global airline industry, Avelo Airlines has been in financial crisis for the last few years and recently hired Jeffries, an investment bank, to help raise up to $100 million, “about $50 million for growth and the rest to shore up the company’s finances.”
Avelo’s contract with ICE and its operation is highly secret, Boulay says, making it difficult for the public to know what is actually happening with the deportation flights. Boulay says he was informed by other activists that Avelo’s logo on the aircraft used for deportation were painted white. “It shows that Avelo is ashamed and trying to keep it secret,” he says.
The Coalition to Stop Avelo was formed in May as a grassroots nationwide protest against ICE and what many are calling illegal mass deportations. “We are letting people know about this. Public awareness is important,” Bridgman says.
She says Avelo Airlines’ actions of contracting with ICE and flying deportation flights do not align with the Eugene Airport’s “Mission and Belonging Statement.” It includes integrity as one of the core values, and it states “we align our conduct with what we know to be excellent, always seeking to reflect ethical standards and to do the right thing regardless of the circumstances.”
For his part, Jones says he reached out to other activist organizations and held signs by the left turn lane on Highway 99, where people on their way to the airport drive by. He says his timing for the protest was intentional so that Avelo users would drive by as well.
“That’s something I did,” he says. “This is a horrifying situation in U.S. history.” As Jones holds back tears, he adds, “I have hope and faith that we’re going to get out of it.”
Although Avelo is leaving Eugene, Boulay and Bridgman predict that deportation flights will continue from Arizona to countries such as Guatemala. “The goal is to get Avelo to cancel their ICE contract and to stop these illegal deportations,” Boulay says in a statement. The coalition has been working to speak with the city and the state to cut public subsidies to Avelo Airlines. “We will boycott Avelo across the country, everywhere they fly until they cancel their ICE contract,” he continues. A week after the announcement on July 14, Boulay predicted that Avelo Airlines will shut down all commercial flights by the end of the year. “Boycott is just too strong, they can’t sustain the loss in passenger revenue,” he states.
Bridgman says the coalition will work with elected state leaders to introduce legislation specific to Oregon that prohibits public subsidies for airlines engaged in deportation efforts. They also plan on working with the state coalition of anti-Avelo groups to call on Gov. Tina Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield to speak out against businesses that contract with ICE.
She says she and other protesters will continue to visit Eugene’s airport to inform passengers about what Avelo is doing, and encourage them not to fly with a company that operates deportation flights.
“There is a tremendous value in getting together and knowing you are all there doing the same thing, making the same comment — we all are on the same page,” Jones says.
Visit StopAvelo.org to learn more about how to stay informed and take action.
This story has been updated to reflect Anne Bridgman referenced Eugene Airport’s, not Avelo’s mission.