The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today congratulated grassroots organizers and advocates, including the Baltimore Rapid Response Network, whose sustained advocacy helped secure Avelo Airlines’ announcement that it is ending its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on the same day that an ICE agent fatally shot a legal observer in Minneapolis, MN. Avelo Airlines operates out of the Thurgood Marshall Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI), where several protests have been organized against deportation flights.
SEE: Avelo Airlines to end ICE deportation charters as it cuts commercial flights, jobs
Baltimore Rapid Response Network
CAIR-MN Calls for Independent Local Probe of ICE’s Fatal Shooting of Legal Observer in Minneapolis
In a statement, CAIR Maryland said:
“This victory is a powerful reminder that collective action works. Despite repeated claims that the contract was untouchable and that public pressure would not matter, organizers across the state and nationwide persisted – mobilizing communities, raising public awareness, and demanding corporate accountability. Their efforts have now resulted in a meaningful and concrete outcome.
“For immigrant communities – many of whom have endured the trauma of detention, family separation, and deportation – this decision represents more than a corporate policy shift. It affirms the humanity of those most impacted by the detention and deportation system and demonstrates that moral courage and solidarity can disrupt injustice.
“CAIR Maryland applauds the leadership of organizers, legal observers, faith leaders, and everyday community members who refused to remain silent. This campaign underscores the importance of civic engagement, peaceful protest, and principled resistance to policies and practices that harm vulnerable communities. It shows that when communities organize with clarity, compassion, and persistence, even entrenched systems can be challenged and changed.”
CAIR Maryland stands in solidarity with immigrant justice advocates nationwide and remains committed to defending civil rights, opposing detention and deportation abuses, and advancing policies rooted in dignity, due process, and equal justice for all.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com