Operations alerts are communicated via direct messages, WhatsApp, or posts on social media feeds. Additionally, individuals can anonymously report immigration agent sightings through private texts or calls to designated numbers.
Generally, users are required to provide basic information, including the time, date, city, state, and precise location of the operation. Photographic or video evidence is requested when feasible. Beyond sending real-time alerts, many of these platforms offer complimentary legal guidance covering not only immigration matters but also labor rights and access to essential services like health and education.
Several networks actively engaged in this initiative include:
Union del Barrio California
This grassroots pro-immigrant organization maintains a robust Facebook presence. It conducts community patrols to detect ICE activities, disseminates urgent alerts, and organizes legal rights workshops.
Chirla
Chirla remains active on Facebook and various platforms, regularly publishing notifications regarding raids and providing legal advice while urging citizen mobilization against new enforcement actions.
Stop ICE Raids Alert Network
This network facilitates the distribution of emergency alerts and offers resources to individuals impacted by ICE raids. In addition to its social media presence, it maintains a website that provides real-time geolocated notifications.
Siembra NC
Primarily active in North Carolina, this organization utilizes its Facebook page to promote a whistleblower hotline (336-543-0353). While it primarily serves Alamance, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Orange, Wake, Randolph, and Rockingham counties, it maintains a statewide reach.
RadarSafe
This project employs the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) to send digital emergency alerts, offering secure information on immigration stops and operations. It also shares community-submitted reports, which are verified with assistance from local residents.
Inmigración y Visas
This portal focuses on immigration matters and features a WhatsApp channel for users to report raids, share experiences, and receive advice. Informative content is also disseminated through its Facebook page and website.
SignalSafe
Additionally, SignalSafe is a real-time alert application developed by anonymous developers, providing information regarding ICE activity. Through collaborative reporting, it maps sightings of federal agents, enabling migrants to steer clear of potential checkpoints.
Since Trump’s re-election, SignalSafe has seen significant adoption. The tool allows users to integrate filters based on location, immigration activity type, and time frame, with citizen reports verified by a team of specialized moderators. It features a bilingual interface supporting both Spanish and English, alongside robust security protocols to safeguard user privacy.
Key Access
The increasing frequency of raids in the United States necessitates a proactive response, showcasing how segments of the citizenry actively engage in digital platforms against immigration enforcement. The prevalent use of social networks among migrant communities has transformed these platforms into crucial components of resistance against immigration policies.
According to the International Organization for Migration, by 2023, 64 percent of migrants traversing Central America, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic—primarily heading to the United States—had access to both smartphones and internet connectivity. Of these individuals, 47 percent of men and 35 percent of women used their devices to engage with social networks.
This article was initially published by WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.
