Brands will only tolerate so much bad press, and President Donald Trump’s family separation policy has finally reached the point of no return for multiple airlines. In quick succession, three companies asked the government not to use their airplanes to separate migrant families on Wednesday.
After multiple eyewitness accounts surfaced of commercial airlines being used to transport children who had been ripped from their parents, American Airlines was first out of the gate with a statement that said, “We have no desire to be associated with separating families, or worse, to profit from it.”
JUST IN: American Airlines has requested that the US federal government "immediately refrain from using American for the purpose of transporting children who have been separated from their families due to the current immigration policy." pic.twitter.com/AWl6BKDBJS
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 20, 2018
A short time later, United Airlines announced it had “contacted federal officials to inform them that they should not transport immigrant children on United aircraft who have been separated from their parents.”
United asks U.S. government not to fly separated immigrant children on our aircraft. pic.twitter.com/MPPbhO6aqV
— United Airlines (@united) June 20, 2018
Then Frontier Airlines added its company to the list of airlines that doesn’t want to be associated with Trump’s policy of breaking up families:
Frontier prides itself on being a family airline and we will not knowingly allow our flights to be used to transport migrant children away from their families. At this time, we are not aware if Frontier has been used for this purpose.
— Frontier Airlines (@FlyFrontier) June 20, 2018
Department of Homeland Security press secretary Tyler Q. Houlton didn’t handle the rejection well, firing off a series of tweets in which he became the latest member of Trump’s government to criticize companies over a perceived lack of patriotism.
It’s unfortunate that @AmericanAir , @united, and @FlyFrontier no longer want to partner with the brave men and women of DHS to protect the traveling public, combat human trafficking, and to swiftly reunite unaccompanied illegal immigrant children with their families.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) June 20, 2018
Despite being provided facts on this issue, these airlines clearly do not understand our immigration laws and the long-standing devastating loopholes that have caused the crisis at our southern border.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) June 20, 2018
Buckling to a false media narrative only exacerbates the problems at our border and puts more children at risk from traffickers. We wish the airlines would instead choose to be part of the solution.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) June 20, 2018
For 15 years, @DHSgov has worked diligently with America’s airlines to secure aviation and facilitate the travel by air of millions of Americans and visitors and we will continue to do so.
— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) June 20, 2018
Despite Republicans’ stated preference for limited government involvement in business, Trump has made a habit of telling corporations how they should behave.