People Over Papers, an innovative mapping platform aimed at tracking crowdsourced sightings of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, was unexpectedly taken down by the digital tool Padlet.
Celeste, one of the project’s creators who requested her last name remain confidential for security reasons, expressed her shock over the removal.
“I reached out to them pretty immediately. At first, I thought I had done something wrong,” Celeste stated, highlighting the abruptness of the situation.
Approximately two hours later, she received confirmation from a Padlet customer representative indicating that People Over Papers was discontinued due to ‘violations’ of the content policy and that restoration was not possible at that moment.
Celeste shared a message from Padlet with Boyle Heights Beat, which attempted to contact Padlet for a statement but had not received any feedback by the time of publication.
A notice displayed at the project’s former web address informed visitors that the People Over Papers padlet was ‘in the garbage.’
The notice also claimed, “Our robots detected that this padlet was being used for things we don’t approve of. So we have deleted it.”
This removal appears to align with a broader crackdown on ICE tracking tools.
Just days prior to the removal, Apple had taken similar action against ICEBlock and other comparable applications that allow users to denote and observe locations of federal immigration agents.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi demanded that Apple eliminate ICEBlock, asserting that it was designed to endanger ICE agents simply for executing their duties.
Additionally, political advisor to President Donald Trump, Laura Loomer, urged the CEO of Padlet to remove People Over Papers, labeling its users as ‘radical left wing domestic terrorists’ who harass ICE personnel.
In response to these actions, Celeste voiced her commitment to defending free speech, stating, “Despite tech companies bending a knee to the requests or wants of people in higher authority, we know that this is protected free speech, and we are going to continue to exercise that for as long as we can.”
In anticipation of such setbacks, the People Over Papers team, composed of around 50 volunteers, had been developing a new website for several months.
Although they had intended for a later launch, the unexpected removal by Padlet prompted them to accelerate the process.
The new website, iceout.org, went live on Sunday, with the original domain hosted on Padlet now redirecting users to the new platform.
Celeste noted that their servers experienced a crash on Monday as a result of the significant influx of traffic, with People Over Papers announcing the new site across social media platforms.
“That seemed to get people aware of it. … We just got a bunch of people submitting, wanting to access it,” she explained.
The movement’s control over its website now affords People Over Papers the opportunity to introduce additional features, including push notifications that alert users of immigration enforcement activity within a specified radius.
Celeste emphasized, “What people can expect is probably better communication between us and the user.”
The tool has become especially beneficial in Los Angeles, with users frequently traveling across multiple counties for work.
“This allows them to just see the activity all in one place, regardless of county, city, or state lines,” Celeste added.
Originally initiated in January, People Over Papers began tracking crowdsourced ICE sightings in states such as Alabama, Texas, and California.
Celeste, who is active on TikTok, explained that the mapping project was born out of collaborative efforts among TikTok creators who pooled information on ICE activity into a Google spreadsheet.
As immigration raids escalated in June, the tool became an essential resource for those seeking assistance and updates.
To date, People Over Papers has attracted over 19 million unique visitors, averaging between 200,000 and 300,000 users daily, according to MIT Technology Review.
The project initially allowed unrestricted submissions for sightings, though moderators later began reviewing inputs before they were published.
Celeste described the verification process in place for submissions of suspected ICE activity, detailing methods such as image reviews, reverse Google Image searches, and corroboration from other sources and news outlets.
“What distinguishes us from other applications is our moderation process,” she noted, indicating they would soon recruit more volunteers to assist in this area.
The initiative holds personal significance for Celeste, who hails from an immigrant household.
She views this work as a ‘labor of love,’ saying, “The thing that keeps me going is [that] people are interested in this. … People want this, and I just keep reminding myself that this is temporary.”
The future of People Over Papers remains bright, despite its recent setbacks, as it continues to serve an essential role in the fight against unjust immigration enforcement.
image source from：boyleheightsbeat
