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 – c…