The Genesis of Activism: From Empathy to Code

Rafael Concepcion, a second-generation immigrant and professor at Syracuse University, felt a profound moral shift after visiting a local Mexican market in early February 2025. Inspired by the community support for the store owner, Hernandez, Concepcion felt compelled to act against the escalating federal immigration crackdown.

He initially expressed his commitment in an op-ed for the Syracuse Post-Standard, writing, “History should count on us to do the right thing.” However, after receiving numerous irate responses, Concepcion recognized that polite commentary was insufficient against ICE, which had reportedly tripled its daily arrests to over 600 following President Trump’s latest inauguration.

Developing the First Iteration of the App

Leveraging his two decades of experience in the tech industry, Concepcion decided to pivot toward creating technology. He began developing a mobile application designed to educate immigrants on exercising their constitutional rights when encountering ICE.

Describing himself as having “the worst case of ADD you’ve ever seen,” Concepcion became hyper-focused on the project. He utilized AI tools like Cursor and ElevenLabs, fueled by approximately 14 cups of coffee daily. He conducted most of his development work, which he termed “vibe coding,” between midnight and dawn while parked outside a Home Depot in his electric F-150, seeking solidarity with the day laborers he aimed to assist.

A Catalyst for Change: Gabriel's Detention

In April 2025, as ICE intensified enforcement nationwide, Concepcion received an urgent plea from a chef at a favored Latin restaurant. The chef’s son, identified here as Gabriel, a Mexican native whose asylum case was pending, was detained by Border Patrol agents near Oswego despite presenting his paperwork.

Gabriel was subsequently held at the ICE detention center in Batavia, New York. Concepcion, known to the community as “El Profe,” immediately dedicated himself to securing Gabriel’s release. He found an attorney willing to take the case for $4,000 and wrote a character reference on Syracuse University letterhead.

The Realization and the Overhaul

After several anxious weeks, Gabriel was freed on $10,000 bail—a rare occurrence, as such releases had dropped by 87 percent compared to the previous year. During the quiet two-hour drive home, Concepcion reflected on the meekness of his initial app.

He questioned the value of educating people on their rights if federal agents simply disregarded them to meet arrest quotas. Concepcion resolved to create a tool that could actively “stop these people from falling off a cliff, stop these people from disappearing.”

DEICER: Crowdsourcing Resistance

Concepcion completely overhauled his application, giving it an aggressive new function: DEICER. This version allowed users to report ICE activity by dropping pins on a map. Nearby users would receive push alerts with detailed information, including photographs of agents’ locations and vehicles, enabling them to organize protests or find safety.

When submitting DEICER to the Apple App Store, Concepcion acknowledged the risk of government pressure but proceeded, stating in a promotional video on July 28, “ICE is looking for millions. What if millions were looking for ICE?” DEICER joined existing crowdsourced tools like ICEBlock and the Stop ICE text-alert network, attempting to counter ICE's technological advantage, which includes Palantir-powered tools and a budget exceeding $77 billion.

Concepcion's Background and Professional Fallout

Concepcion’s journey began in the Bronx, leading him to attend a state university in Plattsburgh, where he initially intended to become an English teacher. His path shifted after discovering the internet, leading to roles at IBM and a German e-commerce firm, followed by writing popular guides for Adobe Photoshop.

He settled in Syracuse in 2018, taking a curriculum development role at the university and later teaching multimedia storytelling at the Newhouse School of Public Communications. Concepcion openly discussed his struggles with ADD and depression with students, aiming to be a role model. He was also deeply involved in community efforts, serving on the DEI committee and becoming a foster parent in 2023.

Job Loss and Escalating Threats

In the early summer of 2025, while finalizing DEICER, Concepcion was informed by a dean that a previously discussed professorship was withdrawn, being offered instead a back-office role. This coincided with the university’s efforts to comply with the US Department of Education's directives regarding DEI initiatives.

Following DEICER’s launch, which saw over 3,000 downloads quickly, Concepcion began receiving numerous emailed death threats, prompting him to investigate purchasing a bulletproof vest. The student newspaper published an op-ed labeling DEICER a “revolutionary tool,” while Concepcion feared he was being forced out due to his politics. Shortly after, he was informed he was no longer a candidate for the back-office position, leaving him unemployed.

Apple Removes DEICER Following DOJ Inquiry

On October 2, approximately two months after DEICER's launch, the US Department of Justice contacted Apple, demanding the removal of apps that potentially endangered ICE agents. DEICER, by then boasting roughly 30,000 users, was subsequently expelled from the App Store the next day.

Apple cited the app’s “purpose is to provide location information about law enforcement officers that can be used to harm such officers individually or as a group.” This action effectively placed ICE agents under a protected class status, similar to minority groups targeted by discriminatory content. ICEBlock faced the same fate, having previously been singled out for criminal investigation by US Attorney General Pam Bondi.