In response to what many describe as arbitrary and aggressive ICE operations across several Los Angeles neighborhoods, residents have found a new way to push back. A mobile application initially developed for home security is now being used as a community alert system—and it appears to be having an impact.
The app, Neighbors, created by Amazon for users of its Ring doorbell cameras, was originally intended to help locate lost pets or missing packages. But as immigration raids intensified, it has been repurposed as a digital watchtower to help protect vulnerable populations.
According to Forbes, dozens of posts have surfaced on the app in the past week. Some include photos, videos, and detailed descriptions of ICE agents and their vehicles. Alerts have mapped sightings near schools, businesses like McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Home Depot. In many cases, users have used the ice cube emoji as a discreet reference to immigration enforcement.
“This is a grassroots effort, an attempt to keep families safe,” said Nic, a Southern California resident who asked not to be identified by her full name for safety reasons. Though a U.S. citizen, she told Forbes that the fear of encountering immigration officers remains deeply unsettling.
Use of the Neighbors app spiked following reports of mass arrests beginning June 7. The situation quickly escalated, prompting the Trump administration to deploy the National Guard and send in Marines to manage protests sparked by the raids.
While President Trump has since announced a temporary pause in enforcement targeting workers in agriculture, hospitality, and restaurants, large urban areas like Los Angeles continue to be central to ICE operations. The decision was reversed in just a couple of days.
Some residents, like Jennifer from Orange County, are using the app to inform their communities. “I live in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood and want to raise awareness to prevent tragedies,” she told Forbes. “I strongly believe in the Constitution, in due process, and in the idea that America is a nation of immigrants.”
Nextdoor, another neighborhood-based platform, has also been used to circulate alerts about ICE activity. However, not all responses have been supportive. Nic reported seeing hostile reactions to alert posts: “Some people were literally cheering, saying, ‘Good, go get them all.’”
The widespread use of Neighbors has presented a dilemma for Amazon. The platform prohibits content that may escalate tensions or stir political debate. Some posts—such as warnings about raids near thrift stores or at a community college in Lancaster—have since been removed. Amazon declined to comment on the removals when contacted by Forbes.
Nextdoor also enforces content guidelines, relying on over 300,000 volunteer moderators alongside its own team. A company spokesperson told Forbes that any content violating the rules is promptly taken down, but did not specify how ICE-related posts are handled.
Although Amazon removed a feature last year that allowed law enforcement to request Ring footage directly via Neighbors, authorities can still access user data through subpoenas or court orders.
One anonymous user interviewed by Forbes warned of the risks of misinformation: “Some alerts are genuinely helpful, but others are vague or false. It’s important not to spread panic unnecessarily.”
As communities continue to navigate a charged political and legal environment, what began as a simple home surveillance tool is now at the center of a growing grassroots movement to monitor—and resist—immigration enforcement.
Source: Forbes
