Opposing ICE Might Save the Country. It Could Also Ruin Your Life
3 hours ago
- Rafael Concepcion, a Syracuse professor, was inspired by a grocery store owner's Facebook post offering free deliveries to immigrants hiding from ICE.
- He developed DEICER, a crowdsourced app to track ICE agent locations and alert users, aiming to help immigrants avoid arrest.
- DEICER was removed from Apple's App Store after the DOJ demanded takedown, citing risk to law enforcement officers.
- Concepcion faced personal setbacks: job loss at Syracuse University, financial strain, hacking of his projects, and death threats.
- Despite obstacles, he continues building similar tools (e.g., OJO Obrero for North Carolina) and providing direct aid to undocumented immigrants.
- His efforts highlight the technological asymmetry between ICE's advanced surveillance and grassroots resistance tools.