New York
\n CNN
\n \u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n Joshua Aaron has worked in and around the tech industry for around two decades. He built his first app \u2014 a blackjack game \u2014 at computer camp when he was 13.\n <\/p>\n
\n 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.\n <\/p>\n
\n Aaron launched the platform, called ICEBlock, in early April after watching President Donald Trump\u2019s administration begin its immigration crackdown<\/a>. The White House\u2019s immigration policies have sparked mass protests across the United States; a CNN poll<\/a> in April showed 52% of Americans polled said Trump has gone too far in deporting undocumented immigrants.\n <\/p>\n \n ICEBlock currently has more than 20,000 users, many of whom are in Los Angeles, where controversial, large-scale deportation efforts have taken place.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWhen I saw what was happening in this country, I wanted to do something to fight back,\u201d Aaron told CNN, adding that the deportation efforts feel, to him, reminiscent of Nazi Germany. \u201cWe\u2019re literally watching history repeat itself.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n ICEBlock is designed to be an \u201cearly warning system\u201d for users when ICE is operating nearby, Aaron said. Users can add a pin on a map showing where they spotted agents \u2014 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.\n <\/p>\n \n 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\u2019s operations. The app provides a similar warning when users log a sighting: \u201cPlease 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.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n ICE did not respond to CNN\u2019s request for comment regarding the app or Aaron\u2019s characterization of the agency\u2019s activity prior to this story\u2019s publication. On Monday, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons released a statement criticizing CNN\u2019s report and saying that ICEBlock \u201cbasically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers\u2019 backs\u201d and that \u201cofficers and agents are already facing a 500% increase in assaults.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n ICEBlock doesn\u2019t collect personal data, and users are completely anonymous, according to Aaron. It\u2019s 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.\n <\/p>\n