American Airlines released a statement Wednesday asking the federal government to refrain from using its flights to transport children who were separated from their parents at the border.
The company took a hard line against the Trump administration and claimed the moral high ground from the jump.
“The family separation process that has been widely publicized is not at all aligned with the values of American Airlines—we bring families together, not apart,” the statement reads. “American, like many U.S. airlines, provides travel to the federal government through contracts; however, the government does not disclose information about the nature of the flights it takes or the passengers who are traveling.”
American then slipped in a disclaimer, saying the company may have already transported children who were separated from their families at the border and would be “disappointed” if that were the case.
“While we have carried refugees for non-profits and the government, many of whom are being reunited with family or friends, we have no knowledge that the federal government has used American to transport children who have been separated from their parents due to the recent immigration policy, but we would be extremely disappointed to learn that is the case,” the statement continues.
“We have therefore requested the federal government to immediately refrain from using American for the purpose of transporting children who have been separated from their families due to the current immigration policy,” the airline concluded. “We have no desire to be associated with separating families, or worse, to profit from it. We have every expectation the government will comply with our request and we thank them for doing so.”
The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to American Airlines to ask if the company is concerned about alienating part of its customer base, but it did not return the request for comment in time for publication.
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