The ICEBlock app, with over 30,000 users, allows individuals to report sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities, with notifications sent to users nearby. Developed as a grassroots initiative by Joshua Aaron, the app seeks to empower communities following increased ICE raids under President Trump's administration. Users can report sightings every five minutes, and alerts expire after five hours, reducing spamming. Aaron's motivations stem from historical lessons of authoritarianism, reflecting concerns about civil rights abuses associated with ICE's actions. The app emphasizes anonymity and non-collection of user data.
Joshua Aaron, ICEBlock's developer, describes the app as a grassroots, community-driven initiative in a conversation with TIME conducted over Signal.
There are also measures in place to prevent spamming activity. Users can only post a sighting within a five-mile radius of their location once every five minutes.
In recent years, ICE has faced criticism for alleged civil rights abuses and failures to adhere to constitutional principles and due process.
Growing up in a Jewish household, Aaron says he has had the opportunity to speak to Holocaust survivors and learn about the history of Nazi Germany.
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