West African migrants rebuild lives in small Ohio town, one bicycle at a time

Every Friday afternoon, an old building in Lockland, Ohio, fills with the clang of hammer on worn bicycle tires, laughter and conversation that shifts between English and Pular, a West African language. The shop, Bikes and Stuff, gives away bicycles to anyone who helps refurbish one, and it has become the heart of life for the town's West African community.

Three years ago, thousands of migrants — most from Mauritania — arrived in this small town on the outskirts of Cincinnati so suddenly that to some residents it felt like it happened overnight. They came as people from more countries than ever before reached the U.S. southern border, part of an unprecedented surge of 4.7 million crossings between October 2018 and July 2025, according to government data. Migrants from more than 150 countries appeared at the border during that period, a sharp break from earlier years when nearly all arrivals were from Mexico or Central America.

The newcomers are seeking asylum in the United States. Most say they fled Mauritania because they were persecuted for opposing its authoritarian government.

Samba Diallo, like many of the others, arrived with nothing but the clothes he was wearing. The migrants crowded into apartments and depended on a local food bank. Most no longer visit the pantry. In the years since, many have obtained work permits and jobs, bought cars, moved into their own apartments and built a community — including local Americans who help them navigate the U.S. immigration system.

Diallo works 10 hours a day, six days a week at a meatpacking plant and saved enough to buy a car. Khalidou Sy, who also arrived from Mauritania at the same time, was able to purchase a house on a leafy street.

Vincent Wilson, who runs Bikes and Stuff, now regularly accompanies the men to their check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He holds their car keys in case they are detained.