Heightened ICE raids and National Guard threats are chilling Chicago’s gig economy, with food couriers returning e-bikes out of fear
A Viral Video Highlights a Growing Fear
A clip of a delivery worker fleeing federal agents across a Chicago bridge went viral this week, encapsulating what many gig workers say they face daily: the fear of being detained by federal enforcement under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
For Mike Peregudov, co-founder of e-bike subscription startup Whizz, the video was more than symbolic. It reflected a troubling trend his company has been tracking in Chicago—one that has halted growth and shaken confidence among the city’s delivery workforce.
Whizz’s Growth Stalls in Chicago
Whizz launched in Chicago earlier this year, expanding rapidly:
- 0 bikes in March → ~300 bikes by late July
- Strong adoption by delivery workers seeking affordable, reliable, and legal e-bike rentals
- 8% decline in business since August, coinciding with Trump’s threats to deploy the National Guard
Peregudov said many workers are now returning their bikes, not because of mechanical issues, but out of fear of raids and detainment.
“It has become way harder to deliver a food order in the city,” Peregudov wrote on LinkedIn.
Why Delivery Workers Are Spooked
Chicago delivery workers—many of them immigrants—have reported increased anxiety as CBP, ICE, and federal agents conduct more aggressive enforcement in the city.
- Even U.S. citizens and green card holders risk being wrongfully detained during sweeps.
- While eventually released, they can lose weeks of income—a devastating setback for gig workers who rely on daily earnings.
- For many, the mere risk of an encounter is enough to stop working.
Peregudov said both documented and undocumented immigrants share these fears: “When a raid happens, these people can detain the guy for, whatever, two weeks… he will lose those two weeks.”
A Tale of Two Cities: Why D.C. Is Different
Interestingly, while Chicago’s gig economy is slowing, Whizz’s Washington, D.C. operations are growing—despite Trump also deploying the National Guard there.
- Peregudov attributes this to targeting of gas-powered mopeds in D.C.
- Delivery workers seeking safer alternatives are turning to Whizz’s e-bikes, which are less regulated and less policed than mopeds.
This contrast highlights how local enforcement priorities shape gig workers’ economic realities city by city.
Whizz’s Position: Empathy, Not Politics
As an immigrant himself, Peregudov acknowledges the uneven burden enforcement places on workers, but stops short of direct political criticism.
- He arrived in the U.S. on a talent visa, which shielded him from much of the stress facing delivery workers today.
- For many of Whizz’s customers, however, their livelihoods are tied to whether they feel safe enough to get on the road.
“They’re afraid,” he said. “That’s why growth has stopped.”
