ICE Air to Fly Away: Grassroots Resistance Gains Altitude in Eugene

In a quiet corner of Oregon, a growing storm of resistance is taking flight—literally. This week, Eugene-based activists launched a creative and pointed campaign against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), dubbed “ICE Air to Fly Away.” The initiative, named with biting irony after the agency’s notorious air transport operations, is the latest act of defiance in a city known for its activist roots.

What began as a modest protest has become a coordinated effort across community spaces and social media platforms. The message is simple but resonant: No more secret flights. No more silent deportations. No more vanishing neighbors.

Taking on the Wings of Injustice
The name “ICE Air” isn’t new. It’s long been the colloquial label for the U.S. government’s fleet of contracted planes used to deport thousands of immigrants every year. These flights, often shrouded in secrecy, remove individuals—sometimes without adequate legal recourse—from their communities, jobs, and families.

Activists in Eugene are calling out this quiet machinery of deportation with a visibility campaign designed to interrupt that silence. Posters have begun appearing in local libraries, coffee shops, and university bulletin boards. Each poster features bold graphic art, statistics on deportation trends, and a QR code linking to resources on how to resist collaboration with ICE, report raids, and support affected families.

Resistance by Design
What sets this campaign apart is its playful but powerful use of language and imagery. "ICE Air to Fly Away" evokes the tone of a budget airline ad—only here, the destination is forced exile. It’s a strategy that feels distinctly modern: emotional clarity meets design-savvy activism. One image features a retro airline boarding pass stamped “Deported: Against My Will.” Another mimics a flight map showing departure cities across the U.S. and destinations in Central America, with the caption: You won’t find this flight on Expedia.

It’s agitprop for the digital age—shareable, poignant, and impossible to ignore.

Behind the Campaign: A Community on Alert
Local organizers say the campaign was sparked by reports of increased ICE activity in Oregon and neighboring states. Though Oregon remains a sanctuary state, that hasn’t stopped federal agents from conducting enforcement actions in parking lots, courthouses, or—most troubling—cooperating with commercial airlines for deportation transfers. One organizer, who requested anonymity, said:

“People assume deportations only happen in border states or big cities. But the truth is, Eugene has been quietly complicit. ‘ICE Air to Fly Away’ is a way of saying: we see you, and we won’t be silent anymore.”
The campaign also includes know-your-rights workshops, pop-up art installations, and a coordinated digital media push using hashtags like #ICEAir, #FlyAwayNoMore, and #DeportationWatch.

Why It Matters Now
This local story has national implications. According to recent reports, ICE is on track to surpass 300,000 deportations this year—making 2025 one of the most aggressive enforcement years since the Obama administration. With the increase in deportation flights, campaigns like Eugene’s serve as an important reminder: resistance doesn’t always start in the headlines. Sometimes it starts with a flyer in a coffeeshop.

This campaign is also a case study in how art and advocacy intersect, turning complex policy critique into bold, emotional narratives that resonate far beyond the activist core.

Want to Help?
If you’re inspired by what’s taking off in Eugene, here are a few actions you can take:

• Share campaign art on social media using #ICEAir and #AbolishICE.
• Host a workshop in your own community to educate neighbors on their rights.
• Donate to deportation defense funds or local sanctuary organizations.
• Pressure local leaders to cut ties with ICE and refuse cooperation with deportation requests.
   
  ICE may have planes. But we have people—and people don’t fly away quietly.