App alerts South Florida immigrants about nearby ICE agents, creator says
Its creator, known only as Peter, says the goal is to help undocumented individuals, asylum seekers and those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) feel safer as they go about their daily lives.
"I saw a community living in absolute fear and it was heartbreaking," said Peter, who asked not to share his last name for safety reasons.
Based in New York, he runs an animal rescue farm and employs many immigrants. "We created CoquiApp alerts immigrants in South Florida about nearby ICE agents, creator says
as a digital tool to give people a chance to live their lives and not feel hunted," he told CBS News Miami.
A South Florida man with TPS, born in Venezuela, also spoke with CBS News Miami. Fearing deportation to a country he left due to repression, he recently began using the Coqui app.
"I use the app every day to go to work; that's how I feel safe," he said.
The app functions similarly to other location-based alert systems, allowing users to see where ICE agents have been reported and adjust their routes accordingly.
The federal government has criticized the app, warning it could endanger immigration officers. ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan said last week that such tools may escalate situations and pose safety risks.
"Our issue becomes then they (people detained) become violent and they're asking people to go cause violence," Sheahan said.
Peter disagrees. "There is no evidence that has ever happened," he said. "Connecting people to one another is being considered as subversive—it's more of an indictment against the system itself."
When asked whether he fears retaliation for creating Coqui, Peter replied, "There is always a level of fear, but I think that doing nothing is a choice."
CBS News Miami reached out to ICE for comment but has not yet received a response.
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