U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials today condemned a newly introduced iPhone app that lets users anonymously report sightings of ICE activity in real time, warning it puts officers in danger.
The app, called ICEBlock, is modeled after Waze but for immigration enforcement. It allows users to pinpoint ICE locations on a map, add details about what they witnessed and send push alerts to others within a five-mile radius.
Related: Long Beach man’s website taps community to slow ICE’s deportation raids
“In recent years, ICE has faced criticism for alleged civil rights abuses and failures to adhere to constitutional principles and due process, making it crucial for communities to stay informed about its operations,” according to a statement on the app’s website.
Posts are deleted after four hours, and users can only report once every five minutes within their area to prevent spam, according to the website. Its slogan reads, “See something, tap something.”
ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons called the app dangerous.
“Advertising an app that basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs is sickening,” he said in a statement. “My officers and agents are already facing a 500% increase in assaults.”
Developer Joshua Aaron described ICEBlock as a grassroots initiative to keep communities informed about ICE activity.
“When I saw what was going on in this country, I just really felt like I had to do something,” he said in an interview with Time, referring to immigration enforcement raids following President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. “The app is to inform, not obstruct. This is to have people avoid having that confrontation in the first place.”
ICEBlock, which became available to iPhone users in April, is currently available only on iOS devices and, according to its website, stores no personal data, making it impossible to trace reports back to individual users.
Trump’s latest immigration crackdown sparked mass protests in Los Angeles, where he deployed the California National Guard and later the Marines without Gov. Gavin Newsom’s consent. A court ultimately ruled Trump could keep control of the National Guard in the city.