BOULDER, Colo. — On Thursday, more than two dozen people gathered for a protest led by students in the heart of their college campus to protest a connection between their university, a Colorado-based airline, and the federal government.
Right outside the University Memorial Center in the center of the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU)'s campus, freshman student Sam Sena started the demonstration.
"Depravity is now the official policy of CU Boulder," Sena said to the crowd. “The morally outrageous actions of Key Lime Air fall on the deaf ears of the CU Boulder administration, but we will make them hear.”
A report from the nonpartisan organization called Human Rights First explains the outrage of Sena and the other protesters. The group used "publicly available aviation data to monitor and document flights" conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Human Rights First found Key Lime Air, which is based out of Centennial Airport in Englewood, began operations with ICE in mid-September of 2025. The report claims the airline conducted immigration enforcement flights, which is defined as "small -scale domestic shuffles between interior enforcement locations and ICE hubs."
According to Human Rights First, Key Lime Air accounted for 83 of those flights in September.
In addition, Colorado Newsline confirmed the connection between ICE and Key Lime Air through a review of government data.
Our Denver partners asked Key Lime Air for a comment on the protest and the claim that they work with ICE on immigration enforcement flights. The company's CEO, Cliff Honeycutt, sent a statement that said they will not discuss charter operations.
The full statement from Key Lime Air can be read below:
"Key Lime Air respects the right of all individuals to peacefully protest and share their opinions. As a matter of policy, we are unable to discuss our charter operations. Our focus remains on conducting ALL Key Lime Air flights in accordance with the highest federally mandated safety standards. We kindly ask that any demonstrations remain peaceful and that the safety of all participants, employees, and members of the public be maintained at all times."
Sena believes Key Lime Air should take "accountability" for such a contract.
"You can't just hide from the public eye. I just think it's, quite frankly, ridiculous," said Sena, who is also the co-chair of the Young Democratic Socialists of America.
The current state of immigration frustrates Sena.
"This country was built by immigrants. Without immigrant communities, you would not have had America," said Sena. When these people aren't able to get into the country or are ruthlessly and brutally deported, it is outrageous, and it makes me very deeply upset.”
Meanwhile, the connection between CU Boulder and Key Lime Air is more than a decade old.
According to those with the university, CU Athletics has contracted with Key Lime Air since 2011 for select sports team travel. The most recent contract between the university and air charter provider lasts through 2029.
In a statement, the Director of Athletics Strategic Communications and Spokesperson Steve Hurlbert said the university does not request a list of other business relationships from potential contractors unless they would be relevant in assessing the "capacity and competency of the company."
The full statement from Hurlbert can be read below:
All contracts for the university, including our air charters, are awarded through a competitive bidding process that includes guidelines intended to create fair and consistent contracting processes across all companies with which the university does business. The university does not, as part of its guidelines, request that potential contractors provide a list of other business relationships unless they are relevant to assisting the university in assessing the capacity and competency of the company.
In the case of Key Lime Air, CU Athletics has contracted with them for select sports team travel since 2011. The provider was selected through our standard competitive process, the latest of which occurred in September 2023. The company’s contract is in effect with the university through 2029.
Regardless, Sena and the other protesters are demanding the university reconsider the contract with Key Lime Air.
"We, as students, will not have our tuition going to support the deportation industrial complex," said Sena.
Kristen Aldretti attended the protest, not as a student, but as a community member concerned about immigration in America. Our Denver partners asked Aldretti why the connection between Key Lime Air and ICE is CU Boulder's responsibility.
"CU is a public institution, and I think that as a public institution, they have a constituency that doesn't want their tuition payments, the tuition funds, to go to an airline that transports immigrants who have been unlawfully detained around the country," Aldretti said in response.
Sena said the protest on Thursday is the start of many more to come.
"The main goal of this one was to strike while the iron was hot," said Sena. "We are definitely hoping to have more events next semester to keep the pressure up."
