‘I wanted to do something to fight back’: This iPhone app alerts users to nearby ICE sightings

Joshua Aaron launched the platform, called ICEBlock, in early April after watching U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration begin its immigration crackdown. (CNN via CNN Newsource)

Joshua Aaron has worked in and around the tech industry for around two decades. He built his first app — a blackjack game — at computer camp when he was 13.

His newest app is designed for a very different purpose: to let users alert people nearby to sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their area.

Aaron launched the platform, called ICEBlock, in early April after watching U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration begin its immigration crackdown. The White House’s immigration policies have sparked mass protests across the United States; a CNN poll in April showed 52% of Americans polled said Trump has gone too far in deporting undocumented immigrants.

ICEBlock currently has more than 20,000 users, many of whom are in Los Angeles, where controversial, large-scale deportation efforts have taken place.

“When I saw what was happening in this country, I wanted to do something to fight back,” Aaron told CNN, adding that the deportation efforts feel, to him, reminiscent of Nazi Germany. “We’re literally watching history repeat itself.”

ICEBlock is designed to be an “early warning system” for users when ICE is operating nearby, Aaron said. Users can add a pin on a map showing where they spotted agents — along with optional notes, like what officers were wearing or what kind of car they were driving. Other users within a five-mile radius will then receive a push alert notifying them of the sighting.

Aaron said he hopes those notifications will help people avoid interactions with ICE, noting that he does not want users to interfere with the agency’s operations. The app provides a similar warning when users log a sighting: “Please note that the use of this app is for information and notification purposes only. It is not to be used for the purposes of inciting violence or interfering with law enforcement.”

ICE did not respond to a request for comment from CNN about the app or Aaron’s characterizations of its actions.

ICEBlock doesn’t collect personal data, and users are completely anonymous, according to Aaron. It’s only available on iOS because Aaron says the app would have to collect information that could ultimately put users at risk to provide the same experience on Android.

Reassuring users of those privacy protections will likely be key to growing ICEBlock’s user base, given how the government is building a database to aid in its deportation efforts.

“We don’t want anybody’s device ID, IP address, location,” Aaron said. “We don’t want anything being discoverable. And so, this is 100% anonymous and free for anybody who wants to use it.”

Although ICEBlock has no surefire way of guaranteeing the accuracy of user reports, Aaron says he’s built safeguards to prevent users from spamming the platform with fake sightings. Users can only report a sighting within five miles of their location, and they can only report once every five minutes. Reports are automatically deleted after four hours.

Aaron says he has no plans to monetize the free app but rather wants it to be a service to the community.

Aaron’s work on ICEBlock stands in contrast to the support that some leaders in Silicon Valley have shown to Trump, including by donating to and attending his inauguration. Some companies have also announced investments in expanding their US presence following the president’s push for domestic tech manufacturing.

“I think I would say grow a backbone. You can’t just be about the money,” Aaron said when asked what he would say to those tech leaders.

“I understand that you have shareholders to report to. I understand that you have employees that need their paychecks,” he added. “But at what point do you say, ‘Enough is enough’?”