Weh-owned company transports immigrants

By James Monteleone / Journal Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: Saturday, July 12, 2014 at 12:05 am

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Allen Weh’s air transport company stands to gain from President Barack Obama’s proposal for $3.7 billion to deal with a surge of Central American immigrants entering the U.S. illegally, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

WEH: Firm operates ICE flights out of 26 cities

Weh did not comment for the Los Angeles Times report. He said in a statement to the Journal on Friday that his Albuquerque-based CSI Aviation, which charters flights for the federal government to transfer illegal immigrants, is “proud of its role in providing these critically needed humanitarian services to the United States government.”

“Our country is knee-deep in a humanitarian, emergency response situation that appears will only get worse before it gets better,” Weh’s statement said.

“As the CEO of CSI Aviation, I have only one concern and that’s to make sure that every detainee, every woman and child who is in our care while being transported, whether they are here legally or illegally, and our crews and support staff, all arrive safely.”

The Los Angeles Times story said Weh’s company is the largest private contractor for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s flight division, ICE Air. The federal immigration agency has paid Weh’s company more than $560 million in ICE contracts since 2010, the paper reported in a story from Washington by Joseph Tanfani.

Obama has proposed the new federal spending to address the wave of immigrants from Central America, many of them children. An estimated $116 million would go toward transportation costs.

The Times story said “a good portion of that is likely to go to CSI.”

Weh’s statement said, “All CSI contracts with the Department of Homeland Security have been awarded through a very competitive bid process.”

Weh’s company, which specializes in chartering flights through other companies, operates ICE flights out of 26 cities, including Mesa, Ariz.; San Antonio, Texas; and Miami.

Weh is running against Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., in the Nov. 4 general election.

James Monteleone: jmonteleone@abqjournal.com.

http://www.abqjournal.com/428113/new...mmigrants.html