No ICE at TVC Resources
Resources to help you push back against Avelo Airlines and their contract to fly ICE detention flights. From letters and addresses, to toolkits and monthly meeting dates, find what works for you and help the community ensure that we keep ICE flights out of Traverse City Cherry Capital Airport.
CURRENT ACTIONS
1. Write or call Michigan AG Dana Nessel and ask that she make a statement condemning Avelo’s ICE Air Contract
2. Pressure the Traverse City and Grand Traverse County Boards of Commissioners to bar public funds from being used to benefit Avelo, or at the very least to make a statement condemning Avelo service at TVC Cherry Capital Airport as long as they are contracted to fly ICE flights.
3. Boycott Avelo
4. Support our fellow Michiganders in Grand Rapids & Detroit, where Avelo flies year round service, in any way you can.
5. Avelo service returns to Traverse City in Summer 2026. Educate your friends, family, and community members. Read up on the issues. Most importantly, keep speaking out!
ACTION 1: Ask AG Dana Nessel to condemn Avelo’s Ice Flights
Attorneys General from across the United States, like Connecticut’s William Tong, and Oregon’s Dan Rayfield, are already speaking out against Avelo. A strong statement from Michigan’s Attorney General, Dana Nessel, would benefit Michiganders by asserting the state's commitment to consumer protection and due process, and reinforces the rule of law over corporate complicity to fascism.
Address Your Letter To
Attorney General Dana Nessel
G. Mennen Williams Building, 7th Floor
525 W. Ottawa St., P.O. Box 30212
Lansing, MI 48909
Or send it as an email to miag@michigan.gov
Example Letter
Dear Attorney General Nessel,
I am writing to you today as a concerned resident of Michigan and a strong supporter of your work in defending the rights and freedoms of our citizens. Your past actions, from challenging unconstitutional executive orders to protecting crime victims and civil rights, have demonstrated a profound commitment to justice and human dignity. It is because of this steadfast record that I am asking you to take a public stand on a matter of critical importance to our community.
Avelo Airlines, a commercial carrier that serves our state, has entered into a contract to operate flights for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As you are aware, this puts Avelo in the business of facilitating a system that is widely known to violate due process and basic human rights. It is deeply disturbing to many Michigan residents that a commercial airline, which benefits from taxpayer-subsidized infrastructure and local support, is now enabling a federal agency to tear families apart and detain individuals without proper legal recourse.
We urge you to join the growing coalition of your counterparts, such as Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, by issuing a public statement that condemns this practice. Doing so would not only apply necessary pressure on Avelo Airlines, but it would also send a powerful message to residents of our state and to the nation. It would show that Michigan will not lend its name or resources to practices that erode fundamental constitutional protections.
This is more than a legal or procedural matter; it is about raising national awareness and showing solidarity against actions that many view as an affront to our most basic democratic values. A public statement from your office would reinforce Michigan’s identity as a state that upholds human rights and stands with its residents, regardless of their background.
Thank you for your consideration of this urgent matter. I have great respect for your leadership and trust that you will carefully weigh the gravity of this issue. I look forward to your response and to seeing a public statement on this issue.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address]
[Your City, State, Zip Code]
[Your Email (Optional)]
[Your Phone Number (Optional)]
ACTION 2: Urge the Traverse City and Grand Traverse County Commissioners to End All Publicly-Funded Avelo Travel and Partnerships
Cities across America are taking a stand against Avelo's ICE contract, prohibiting city funds from being used for travel or partnerships with the airline. We must urge both the Traverse City Board of Commissioners and the Grand Traverse County Commission to take a similar stand to ensure our community's resources align with its values and do not support a company profiting from inhumane practices. As an example, read the full memo issued by the Mayor of New Haven, CT here.
Find the list of Grand Traverse County Commissioners and their email addresses here. Their 2025 meeting schedule is here.
Find the list of Traverse City Commissioners here. Their 2025 meeting schedule is here.
Address Your Letter To
Traverse City Board of Commissioners
400 Boardman Avenue
Traverse City, MI 49684
Email them at
citycommissioners@traversecitymi.gov
or
Grand Traverse County Commission
400 Boardman Avenue, Suite 305
Traverse City, MI 49684
Email them at
commissioners@gtcountymi.gov
Example Letter
Dear Members of the Traverse City Board of Commissioners [or Grand Traverse County Commission],
I am writing to you today as a concerned resident to urge you to take a public stand and create a policy that prohibits the use of public funds for any travel on Avelo Airlines or any partnerships with the airline. This issue is of critical importance to our community, as it directly impacts our values and how our public tax dollars are spent.
As you may be aware, Avelo Airlines has entered into a contract to operate deportation flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This decision has drawn widespread condemnation from cities and communities across America. In New Haven, Connecticut, citizens and city leaders, including Mayor Justin Elicker, acted together to address this issue.
Following a public memo, New Haven enacted a comprehensive policy to align its financial practices with its community values. The policy prohibits the use of public funds for any travel on Avelo Airlines. It also explicitly bars the use of any city financial resources to promote, market, or partner with the airline in any capacity, including through promotional events, city-sponsored advertising, or inclusion in tourism and economic development materials. This policy applies to all city officials and any contractors receiving city funds.
We, the residents of Traverse City [or Grand Traverse County], share this sentiment. We believe that our community's financial resources should not be used to support a company that enables a system widely viewed as inhumane and in violation of due process. By adopting a policy similar to New Haven's, you can ensure that our public funds are not used to enable a company that profits from tearing families apart.
A policy from the commission would send a powerful message that our community stands for compassion and human rights. It would also apply significant local pressure on Avelo to reconsider its contract with ICE.
We urge you to take this matter seriously and act to ensure our community's values are reflected in its policies.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address]
[Your City, State, Zip Code]
[Your Email (Optional)]
[Your Phone Number (Optional)]
ACTION 3: Boycott Avelo
A personal boycott of Avelo Airlines is a powerful way for individuals to withdraw financial support from a company engaged in practices that violate human rights. To make the boycott most effective, activists should also urge friends, family, and local organizations to do the same, making their reasons for the boycott clear through public statements and social media. This collective action will send a clear message that profiting from practices complicit in authoritarianism is an unacceptable business model in a free America.
ACTION 4: Stand with Fellow Michiganders to Stop ICE Flights
Our campaign is part of a larger, statewide effort to prevent Avelo Airlines' complicity with ICE from taking root in Michigan. As both Grand Rapids and Detroit have Avelo flights, and with Grand Rapids being close to the largest ICE detention camp in the Midwest, it is crucial to support these communities. We can do this by amplifying their messages on social media, sharing their campaign materials, and attending or promoting their events to create a unified and powerful front against the inhumane, unconstitutional, and frankly un-American, practices Avelo Airlines enables.
ACTION 5: Unite And Amplify
The summer 2026 return of Avelo service to Traverse City is confirmed. This isn't a time to retreat, but to redouble our efforts. We need to do more than just voice our opposition; we must ensure our message is heard loud and clear throughout the community.
The Action:
1. Educate Your Network: Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors. Many people are still unaware of the full impact of this service. Explain the issues and share your concerns directly. Personal conversations are the most powerful way to change hearts and minds.
2. Stay Informed: Read up on the issues to strengthen your arguments. Use the factual information we've gathered to counter misinformation and to speak with authority. Your knowledge is your greatest asset in this fight. Learn more at https://stopavelo.org or https://groundavelo.org
3. Keep Speaking Out: Continue to attend local meetings, write to elected officials, and participate in community forums. Every letter, every phone call, and every public comment adds to the collective voice. Do not underestimate the power of persistence.
