The ICE Alert System No App Store Can Kill

Sherman Austin built STOPICE.net to put real-time ICE alerts in half a million phones — no download required, no data collected, no off switch for the feds.

JACKSONVILLE, FLA.— For some people, resistance looks like working a food pantry in the community, distributing know your rights information, attending a protest or even singing the woes of the nation. To 43-year-old programmer, web developer and activist Sherman Austin, however, fighting back looks a bit different.

Since early 2025, Austin has been full-steam ahead developing and managing STOPICE.net – a mobile alert system tracking ICE activity across the nation. The service works via crowd sourced reporting. Essentially, users submit their own ICE sightings, reports are vetted for legitimacy, and STOPICE.net sends an alert out to those nearby.

“I want it to be something that can get the time sensitive information out to people right away,” Austin told Migrant Insider.

Design Philosophy

STOPICE.net is deliberately low-tech for the dual purpose of accessibility and user privacy. Any device that has cell service – whether it be the newest Apple contraption or the sketchiest flip phone – can receive STOPICE.net alerts without needing to download a thing.

By relying on text messages alone, STOPICE.net circumvents a key issue. If the service was a mobile app instead its survival would be at the mercy of Apple and Google. If the federal government wanted STOPICE.net taken down, all they would have to do is ask their friends in the private sector to remove it from mobile play stores, effectively killing the service. Considering tech companies have already given treasure troves of sensitive user information to the Department of Homeland Security, such a fear likely isn’t too farfetched.

When designing the service, Austin chose not to collect users’ geolocation data. Instead of asking for sensitive information like your current location or home address, STOPICE.net just needs your zip code, city and state. When a user reports an ICE sighting and cites an address, Austin told Migrant Insider, STOPICE.net references its own database of zip codes and coordinates. Then, the service determines who should receive the alert based on the distance between the coordinates of the report and users’ zip codes. Essentially, users receive alerts of ICE sightings relevant to their location – without needing to turn over their sensitive geolocation data.

“I don’t wanna collect that information because the whole idea behind the platform was to develop something that was tailored around preserving user anonymity,” said Austin.

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Keeping the Beast Running

With over half a million people subscribed to the alert system servicing the nation – STOPICE.net isn’t cheap to run. “Imagine a national emergency alert system for earthquakes or hurricanes. Well imagine something like that going off every single day in different parts of the country,” said Austin.

For an alert system of this scale, running entirely off grassroots financial support seems ludicrous – but that’s exactly what STOPICE.net does. “It’s really able to stay up and online because people donate and support it,” Austin told Migrant Insider.

Unfortunately for Austin, the financial hurdle isn’t the only obstacle STOPICE.net has had to clear. Since the site’s launch in early 2025, Austin’s project has been the target of repeated cyberattacks. From attempts to flood the system with fake alerts to full on DOS (denial of service) attacks – Austin has been the main line of defense.

“I was doing all these things manually,” Austin told Migrant Insider, “And I really wasn’t getting any sleep.”

Eventually – Austin developed automated processes for filtering out fake reports and keeping the service online. Now, STOPICE.net has begun to upscale its moderation staff and continues to be manually maintained, providing newfound stability for the besieged service.

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How do I use it?

Using STOPICE.net is simple. To receive alerts of ICE sightings in your area, all you have to do is text JOIN to 877-322-2299 and give it your zip code, city and state. Then, you can submit your own alerts and notify others in your area by texting REPORT to the same number.

If you do submit a report, you’ll be asked to provide an address to locate your ICE sighting in addition to a brief description of what you saw.

Having been extremely active in the advocacy space since his youth before backing into private life to focus on his family, Austin hadn’t expected the second Trump administration to draw him back to his roots. “It got to the point where I think that my skill set has something to contribute,” shared Austin.

Visit STOPICE.net for more information.