It takes a lot for Amazon to surprise us, these days, but its co-ownership of an airline used for ICE’s deportation efforts has done just that. When we say Amazon has a large stake in an airline used for deportations we mean just that, somehow. Same goes for that airline has been accused of abusing deportees while flying. Somehow these are factual statements based in research compiled by The Intercept.
Here’s a brief overview of how this ludicrous partnership came to be. Amazon purchased $131 million worth of Air Transport Services Group Inc. (ATSG) in 2019, giving it ownership of approximately 19.5 percent of the company. An ATSG subdivision called Onmi Air International flies people around for the government — including Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICE).
