ICEBlock: The app that alerts users about immigration raids

“When I saw what was happening in this country, I wanted to do something to fight back.” That’s how developer Joshua Aaron explained to CNN why he created ICEBlock, a cell phone app that alerts users about the presence of immigration agents in urban areas, amid the tightening of immigration policies in the United States.

Aaron, who has over two decades of experience in the tech sector, launched the free app in April 2025 in response to the Trump administration’s plan for mass deportations. “We’re literally watching history repeat itself,” the developer told the U.S. network. To him, the current climate resembles the mechanisms used by authoritarian regimes in the 20th century.

Inspired by the model of Waze, a collaborative app that alerts users about traffic, ICEBlock functions as an early warning and anonymous platform designed to help immigrant communities stay informed about operations carried out by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “See something, tap something” is its motto. With just two taps on their cell phone, users can mark on a map the location where agents were identified, add a brief description, and send an automatic alert to other users within a five-mile (approximately eight-kilometer) radius.

The app doesn’t collect personal data or permanent geolocation, and reports are automatically deleted after four hours. “We don’t want anybody’s device ID, IP address, location. We don’t want anything being discoverable,” Aaron told CNN. These technical restrictions aim to prevent misuse of the platform: users can submit only one report every five minutes, and it must be sent from their current physical location.

In just a few weeks, ICEBlock has surpassed 20,000 users, many in cities like Los Angeles, where massive protests against the president’s immigration policies took place in early June. For many people, the app has become a vital tool. As one user who gave it five stars on the Apple Store put it: “The most important app for the moment. This app puts the hands in the power of the people and allows anyone to pinpoint the location of immigration agents within a five-mile radius of your location. Whether you or someone you know may or may not be in jeopardy, please spread the word about this important app. It could literally save someone’s life.”

Meanwhile, acting ICE director Todd M. Lyons criticized CNN on Monday for interviewing the app’s creator, calling the network’s coverage “reckless and irresponsible.” “Advertising an app that basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs is sickening. My officers and agents are already facing a 500% increase in assaults, and going on live television to announce an app that lets anyone zero in on their locations is like inviting violence against them with a national megaphone,” he said in a statement.

Digital resistance and harassment

Supporters of Trump and his immigration agenda quickly responded on social media to the app. Aaron became the target of doxxing by conservative groups, with his address, legal name, and other personal details shared alongside messages of hate and antisemitism. “I will not be deterred,” he wrote on his Bluesky account on June 20.

In the same thread, the developer added: “I’m not holding my breath that anything will be removed and even if it is, the damage is done. I will not be deterred. This country is falling fast into authoritarianism and fascism, with this administration turning a blind eye to what its followers do in their name.”

For now, ICEBlock is only available on iOS due to security risks and data collection concerns. Even with this limitation, it stands as a powerful example of how technology can serve as a form of resistance against fear and persecution. “At what point do you say, ‘Enough is enough’?” Aaron concluded in his conversation with CNN.

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