Statement of Indivisible Albany Concerning Proposed Resolutions Nos. 26-054 & 26-055 of the Albany County Legislature

At the Legislative Meeting of the Albany County Legislature scheduled for Monday, February 9, 2026, the Legislature will be called upon to consider two proposed resolutions related to the federal government’s mass deportation agenda and the brutal campaign of violence and terror being waged against American communities by agents affiliated with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Indivisible Albany strongly supports the enactment of both of these Resolutions and strongly encourages the Legislature to adopt and promulgate both Resolution No. 26-054 and Resolution No. 26-055.

Resolution No. 26-054 is long overdue and would finally take action against domestic air carriers – like Avelo Airlines – who “have been involved in and profited from deportations by DHS, ICE, and/or CBP that lack sufficient due process protections,” and would categorically prohibit Albany County employees, agencies and contractors from using public funds on air travel by these “Deportation Airlines.” As part of its longstanding campaign against Avelo Airlines, Indivisible Albany has been consistently advocating for legislative action against airlines that avail themselves of public resources at Albany International Airport, while simultaneously tearing American families apart by conducting deportation flights on behalf of ICE, and we therefore support the Legislature’s enactment of Resolution No. 26-054. However, we note that, by its explicit terms, Resolution No. 26-054 only looks forward, prohibiting the expenditure of public funds on airlines which have conducted deportation flights “after February 1, 2026.” Inasmuch as Avelo Airlines ceased conducting deportation flights on ICE’s behalf effective January 31, 2026, the Legislature’s resolution would ostensibly permit County employees and contractors to use Avelo Airlines going forward, despite the fact that Avelo has participated in the deportation of thousands of American residents since the Spring of 2025. Because we believe that Avelo Airlines should not be rewarded with taxpayer money simply because it no longer engages in cruel and unconstitutional deportation flights, we further encourage the Legislature to amend its Resolution so as to define “Deportation Airlines” as any airline which has engaged in deportation flights after January 1, 2025.

As to Resolution No. 26-055, Indivisible Albany likewise supports enactment of this proposal, but nonetheless maintains that it does not go far enough. Resolution No. 26-055 would prohibit all agencies of Albany County, including the Albany County Sheriff, from “cooperating” or “facilitating” any operations by ICE or CBP within Albany County, and is therefore worthy of adoption. However, Resolution No. 26-055 does nothing to prohibit ICE or CBP operations or activity on County property. Further, Resolution No. 26-055 inexplicably contains an unnecessary and unwarranted expiration date of December 31, 2026. In the view of Indivisible Albany, the residents of Albany County are deserving of far-reaching and rigorous protection from the actions of ICE and CBP, and such protections should remain in place until such time as ICE has been abolished and DHS has been dismantled by Act of Congress.