Rafael C.: Tech activist builds ICE-tracking app, faces job loss and threats
Rafael Concepcion, a Syracuse University professor, built a crowdsourced app tracking ICE activity that reached 30,000 users before Apple removed it under government pressure; he lost his job and received death threats.
Mar 31, 2026Syracuse, NYCountry of origin: Mexico
Rafael Concepcion, a Syracuse University professor, developed DEICER, a crowdsourced mapping app that alerts users to ICE activity and agent locations. After the app gained 30,000 users, the Department of Justice pressured Apple to remove it from the App Store in October 2025. Concepcion lost his university job and received death threats but continued developing modified versions of the tool.
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Sources
- ICE-Tracking Apps Have Helped People Avoid Immigration Agents. Are They Legal?
The New Yorker·Mar 28, 2026·archived copy
- Opposing ICE Might Save the Country. It Could Also Ruin Your Life
Wired·Mar 31, 2026·archived copy
- Apple Took Down These ICE-Tracking Apps. The Developers Aren't Giving Up
Wired·Oct 9, 2025·archived copy
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