Retired Lawyer Bikes 16k Miles for Refugees
By Naomi Scully-Bristol, Communications Intern.
For fourteen years, Jeffrey Heller has set out across the United States in a recumbent bike, traveling through different states to raise awareness about the experience of refugees and migrants. His dedication to this cause is represented in every mile he has traveled and each person he has spoken with throughout these remarkable annual rides.
Heller has been involved with Human Rights First since the 1980s when he started offering pro-bono legal counsel to Haitian refugees and asylum seekers. Now, as a retired lawyer, his annual ride shows his longstanding commitment to immigration and human rights advocacy.
This year’s ride marked the end of a long and impactful era. Jeffrey began in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and cycled 591 miles to South Bend, Indiana, raising awareness and crucial funds for Human Rights First’s Refugee Representation program. Jeffrey completed his final 375 miles in New York, reaching 16,006 total miles over 14 annual rides as he crossed the bridge to Ellis Island on June 14, 2024.
The Ellis Island bridge is typically closed to the public, but the park service made an exception for Jeffrey so he could mark the end of his ride at a site that has come to represent hope to refugees entering the United States. Jeffrey’s grandmother immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island in 1905 as a refugee fleeing Russian Pogroms, and he wanted to symbolically finish the Ride for Human Rights at the iconic immigration portal that has provided refuge to so many people.
Over 14 years and 16,006 miles of biking, Jeffrey Heller has traversed the lower 48 states, from the icy Rocky Mountains to the scorching swamps of the South. As he bikes, Heller stops to speak with people he encounters, sharing stories and discussing human rights issues. He has met uranium miners in motels and Ozark farmers, each conversation enriching his understanding of the diverse fabric of America. When he visited Georgia in 2013, fifty years after the Civil Rights Movement, Jeffrey remarked that he found people there more receptive than he had anticipated, a testament to the progress in societal attitudes towards human rights.
On each journey, Jeffrey brings along Joey, a stuffed kangaroo puppet, who first appeared in an immigration court video in 1991. Joey has always traveled by Jeffrey’s side and adds humor to the journey, lightening the mood and making the serious conversations about human rights more approachable.
Jeffrey’s interactions with the people he meets along the way are the highlight of his rides. These rides present many challenges, including bad roads and highways without bike lanes, unexpected weather, and drivers who do not respect cyclists, so moments of unexpected kindness and solidarity are a source of encouragement for Jeffrey. In 2022, he recalled an incident while leaving the Pennsylvania Mountains on Route 80, where people flagged him down, saying, “I don’t want anything, I just wanted to help you.”
Jeffrey’s Annual Ride began as a spontaneous decision to bike to his daughter’s college graduation, and have since evolved into a powerful platform for raising awareness and funds for immigration causes. His first ride was in 2011, from New York City to Postville, Iowa, and since then, he has remained steadfast in his mission, despite physical and logistical challenges. Throughout these rides Jeffrey’s wife, Nancy, has been Jeffrey’s bedrock, checking in on him daily, making sure he doesn’t push beyond his limits, and always lending a comforting word or a practical piece of advice.
This year was Jeffrey’s final ride, but his impact – opening minds and hearts and fostering greater understanding and empathy for refugees and asylum seekers — will continue to have a significant impact long after his last ride. He has engaged in countless conversations at pit stops, and finally at the shores of Ellis Island, breaking down stereotypes and encouraging people to see beyond their initial judgments.
His work has also had a tangible impact on Human Rights First, helping to raise significant funds — over $540k, with an impressive $67k coming in this year — and awareness for the organization. Jeffrey Heller has shown that dedication and perseverance can drive significant change, and that every effort, no matter how small, contributes to the greater good. Jeffrey is a true champion of human rights, and his legacy will continue to inspire and motivate others for years to come.
Thank you, Jeffrey.
