A large part of Chicago’s population consists of undocumented immigrants, mainly Hispanics. Even before Minneapolis, the city had experienced occupation and fierce ICE raids. However, people organised themselves to defend their neighbours and resist the violence of the masked agents in many creative ways. Among the most active associations is CyclingxSolidarity. We talk about it with Rick, one of the founders.

How and when your group was formed?

Our group was formed in Chicago in 2021 at the height of the pandemic, when bike friends wanted to create a space where cycling meets community. Our first group ride was doing just that, by riding around the city and cleaning out Love Fridges, which are community fridges filled and cleaned by volunteers that provide food to the community. We also used our group to act as a source to promote group rides and events from other cycling groups in Chicago. We wanted people to find the joy of riding bikes with friends through a wide array of opportunities and groups that represent the diversity of Chicago.

What is the current situation in the city regarding ICE raids?

Currently, ICE still maintains a presence in Chicago, but nowhere the levels or intensity as their previous occupation in late 2025, or the levels seen recently in Minneapolis.

What are your activities to protect immigrants and the most vulnerable? In resisting ICE agents, how important is it to know the city on two wheels?

We have created 3 initiatives that support street vendors through mutual aid efforts. The reason we chose street vendors is because of how beloved and valued and vulnerable they are and we wanted to use our position as people that ride bikes around the city to support them and help keep them safe. We organize buyout rides where we get up early and ride around the city to buyout all their food/drinks with cash raised from our supporters, so they can go home and be safe with their families. We then ride around afterwards to distribute what we buy to folks experiencing homelessness in the community, in shelters, and to fill Love Fridges.

We also have home buyouts where we work with our partners at the Street Vendors Association of Chicago and other sources to identify street vendors at home who are too scared to go out and arrange orders and pickups at their home, so they can stay safe, make some money, and then we distribute the food the same as our vendor buyouts. Our most public and social rides that we organize is the Street Vendor Bike Tour Series where for each ride, we meet at a central location and visit different neighbourhoods to support street vendors that we have identified. Participants buy whatever they want to eat/drink, we buy out the rest of their products, and then distribute out to the community like our other rides. This is a joyous, family friendly ride, that allows people to experience different neighbourhoods and support street vendors directly. We hosted 6 in 2025 and will again organize a 6 ride series for 2026, monthly from May-October.

All of our initiatives depend on our background of riding all over the city personally and on group rides and our partnership with Burrito Brigade Chicago, another local organization, where we’ve been distributing burritos to people experiencing homelessness for almost 5 years.

Our partnership with them began in June of 2022 when we saw they were distributing burritos on a monthly basis and we wanted to help eliminate car trips for a more intimate distribution by riding bikes and engaging with people. We now have 3 bike distribution teams that ride all over the city on a monthly basis to distribute at least 250 burritos and other supplies to support their efforts.

Do you have contacts with activists in other cities?

Folks from other cities have reached out to us to learn how to start their own mutual aid bike group or for specific questions like when one of our volunteers 3D printed whistles. We have folks in the Bay Area and NYC who have organized. CyclingxsolidarityNYC has officially started as an offshoot of our group.

In Italy, there have been strong protests against the presence of ICE agents at the Winter Olympics as escorts for US officials and athletes, and there is a lot of interest and solidarity for your resistance. Based on your experience with ICE and the US police, do you have any suggestions for Italian activists?

Record everything. There have been recent efforts by US government officials to collect video of federal agents committing illegal actions for future prosecution. As you have seen with the execution of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, bystander video accounts are vital for accountability. Whistles have also been an incredible tool to notify communities of their presence and disrupt their terror.

What gives you the strength to continue your solidarity action in the midst of so much violence and with such ruthless enemy?

Community. Solidarity. The support we have received from all over the world that they support our fight against fascism continues to give us strength. The cyclists in Chicago and beyond that have joined our rides because they want to get involved and this gives them the opportunity to directly support people (street vendors), has shown us what a powerful community we have here locally.

https://www.cyclingxsolidarity.com/

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