Denver community refuses business as usual, rallies against deportation flights

Englewood, CO – On Saturday, February 21, about 50 community members joined Aurora Unidos Community Service Organization (AUCSO) at Centennial Airport for a car protest with one clear message: no more deportation flights taking off from our backyard.

The action called on Key Lime Air and JetCenters of Colorado to end their roles in supporting ICE transfers and deportation flights. When it comes to family separation, AUCSO says “business as usual” just doesn’t fly.

Before the car rally began, Alfredo Carbajal, an organizer with AUCSO stated, “These companies want you to think they are just local businesses. They want to blend into the scenery. But we know the truth – while we stand here, planes are being fueled and prepared to tear families apart.”

The car caravan consisted of about 25 vehicles, windows adorned with neon paint. Some cars carried oversized signs jutting from their windows with a direct demand, “JetCenters of Colorado: Cancel your contract with Key Lime Air now!”

The caravan slowly looped the small, unassuming terminal for over an hour, horns sounding in unison. Megaphones carried chants of: “Shame on you, Key Lime Air. We’re not going anywhere!” and “No to ICE! No more deportation flights!”

Some bystanders waved and cars honked in support; several even joined the caravan.

This action came after several recent organizing efforts challenging deportation infrastructure across Colorado. Earlier in the week, organizers called for a full day of call-ins to disrupt JetCenters’ operations and demand they end their sublease agreement. Offices in Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and the Denver metro area felt the pressure, but the focus remained on Centennial Airport, which is home base for Key Lime Air’s deportation operations.

At its core, the rally centered on the idea that neutrality is a choice.

As Carbajal points out, “You can say ‘we just provide the service,’ but silence is complicity. When Key Lime Air fires up those engines, they aren’t just burning fuel. They are burning through the moral fabric of our community.”

AUCSO and partner organizations have pledged to sustain pressure on local entities and officials until deportation profiteering is ended.

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