Culture & Community | Immigration | Elicker Administration | Puerto Ricans United, Inc. | Black Wall Street Festival
Lucy Gellman File Photo.
The City of New Haven has sent a memo to all employees prohibiting the use of public funds for Avelo Airlines flights, marketing, branding, advertising and promotion.
At the same time, a celebrated New Haven cultural organization–Puerto Ricans United, Inc.–has become the latest groups to sever ties with the budget airline because of Avelo’s agreement to run deportation flights for the Trump administration.
The Arts Paper received on Friday a copy of the new Avelo-focused city memo, which was issued by the Elicker administration on Monday. That memo was sent to all city staff and was signed by city Chief of Staff Sean Matteson.
"Until further notice, the City of New Haven is prohibiting the use of public funds for any travel on Avelo Airlines," it begins. "No city departments, offices or affiliated programs may purchase tickets, reimburse travel, or otherwise allocate taxpayer dollars for transportation on Avelo."
That memo continues: "In addition, no city financial resources may be used to promote, market, or partner with Avelo airlines in any capacity. This includes but is not limited to (a) Participation in Avelo promotional events; (b) City-sponsored advertising or co-branding campaigns; (c) The inclusion of Avelo in any city-funded economic development, tourism or public relations materials."
Meanwhile, on Thursday and Friday, represetatives from PRU confirmed that their organization has also cut ties with Avelo, right on the eve of their group’s biggest celebration of the year. That takes place August 9 on the New Haven Green.
PRU President Joe Rodriguez confirmed Thursday evening that the group will no longer be working with the airline, which offers direct flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico that were once celebrated by the group's members.
The city memo and PRU decision mark just the latest blow to Avelo, once celebrated in New Haven, since the budget airline signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in April. Since May, Avelo has been running deportation flights on unmarked planes out of Alexandria, Louisiana and Mesa, Arizona. During that time, there have been near-weekly protests at Tweed New Haven Airport, Avelo's Elm City hub.
"This Is Not The America That I Believe In"
PRU President Joe Rodriguez at a flag raising for the festival last year. Lucy Gellman File Photo.
For both the City and the two cultural institutions, it was past time to cut ties with what some advocates have referred to as "ICE Airlines." That seemed especially present this week, as community members rallied for Esdrás R., a rising junior at Wilbur Cross High School who was arrested by ICE agents during a workplace raid in Southington.
This week, one of Avelo’s unmarked planes normally used for deportations was also used by the company for a commercial flight from Tweed to Florida.
According to the Washington-based organization La Resistencia, that plane "was involved in at least 109 ICE Air flights in less than two months," eight of which were deportations to Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
Rodriguez said that PRU reached the decision to cut ties with Avelo earlier this year, during a board meeting that coincided with the news that Avelo had signed a contract with DHS and would be running deportation flights out of Mesa, Arizona starting in May (read more about that here and here). At the same time, Rodriguez flagged an online petition from the New Haven Immigrants Coalition that had begun to circulate, urging signatories to take a pledge not to fly Avelo.
"The board voted in solidarity to stand with our community," he said at the group's annual gala Thursday night (hold tight for a full article on that star-studded event). "Our community is not just the Puerto Rican community. It's the greater New Haven community."
He noted that the vote was a proactive one: PRU had not yet entered into conversations with Avelo about its 2025 Festival Puertorriqueño, scheduled for August 9 on the New Haven Green. In both 2023 and 2024, Avelo supported both its gala and festival, providing free round-trip tickets and sponsorship.
"We said, should it come up, we were not going to accept it," Rodriguez said. "This is not the America I believe in. It's unfortunate that we have some leaders in our country that choose to divide us rather than inspire us."
“Antithetical To Our Values As A City”
Mayor Justin Elicker: "Travel should be about bringing people together, not tearing families apart." Grayce Howe File Photo.
In a statement Friday afternoon, Mayor Justin Elicker expanded on his administration’s decision to issue a memo barring city employees from using public monies for Avelo or Avelo-affiliated activities and events.
“New Haven is proudly a welcoming city for all our residents,” he said. “Avelo Airlines’ continued participation in and profiteering from the Trump Administration’s inhumane and often illegal immigration policies and ICE’s deplorable tactics is antithetical to our values as a city, and not something we will support with city funds or taxpayer dollars.
“Until Avelo Airlines changes its policies and practices, municipal employees are prohibited from using public funds for any travel on Avelo Airlines or using city resources to promote, market or partner with Avelo Airlines. Travel should be about bringing people together, not tearing families apart.
“Prior to Avelo’s decision to contract with ICE to charter deportation flights, the City of New Haven had a very strong partnership with Avelo and it’s truly unfortunate that they have chosen this path, and we continue to urge Avelo to reconsider this unethical and misguided business decision.”
"Budgets Are Values Statements"
Connecticut Students for a Dream (C4D) Executive Director Tabitha Sookdeo at a rally for Esdrás R. earlier this week. Lucy Gellman Photo.
In a phone call Friday afternoon, Connecticut Students for a Dream (C4D) Executive Director Tabitha Sookdeo praised the city and PRU for the decision to sever ties with the airlines. Avelo’s complicity in deportation isn’t just hypothetical, she said: it’s directly affecting people in New Haven and Connecticut.
She pointed to Esdrás’ ongoing case as an example. Since last week, he has been transported to Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Louisiana, and allegedly back to New England.
“Avelo is part of that,” she said. “We can't in good conscience continue to use Avelo, so I’m grateful that people are starting to realize that.”
“I think it's important to see our City of New Haven standing up for what's right,” she said. “It's maybe taken a little bit [of time] for folks to see what Avelo is doing, and it's exciting to see this collective consciousness building.”
“It’s definitely a start,” added C4D Organizer Eric Cruz López. He wondered aloud what ultimately prompted the city to send the memo, and why city officials had not made the call earlier in the year, as ICE arrests unfolded in New Haven’s Hill, downtown and Fair Haven neighborhoods.
“New Haven is not the end, it’s only the beginning,” he added, noting the number of groups that still partner with Avelo (it is, for instance, the default airline for UConn Athletics, despite a number of undocumented students at the school). “How do we stop using not only New Haven city money, but statewide money, especially when we have the Trust Act?”
In a phone call earlier Friday, New Haven Immigrants Coalition member Anne Watkins echoed that approval. Just as she was grateful to see the Faxon Road Race drop Avelo sponsorship last week, she was glad to see other groups follow suit.
"You know, budgets are values statements, and every organization makes decisions about not just how to spend their money, but where their money comes from," she said. "We know that right now, Avelo is operating as 'ICE Air.' ... Organizations are standing up and saying that the dollars that we get from you is not enough to say that the organization is complicit in the deportation machine."
"This is not just a few people screaming on a street corner," she added. "This is a big deal."
In an email Friday morning, Avelo spokesperson Courtney Goff called the city’s memo and the PRU decision "unfortunate." She did not comment further on the dropped sponsorships and the airline's decision to work directly with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a process during which migrants are shackled at the hands, wrists, feet and waist, as if they are no longer human.
"We look forward to utilizing those funds to benefit other events and philanthropies in Connecticut," Goff wrote. "It’s unfortunate they made this decision, but there are a lot of opportunities and organizations in CT that Avelo would be happy to join forces with and those organizations.