Submit a tip

The record only exists because people document what they see. Here is how to get a sighting, footage, or a piece of information to us, and how to protect yourself when you do.

The fastest way: ICE Watch

For sightings and footage, use the ICE Watch app at watch.theicelist.org. You can report where and when you saw an operation and upload photos or video. Volunteers review and sort every submission. Nothing you send is published automatically, and nothing is published without a human check.

What makes a tip useful

• The date and approximate time.
• The nearest cross streets or a clear landmark.
• Vehicles: make, color, and any plate or unit number, marked or unmarked.
• Agents: any name, badge or unit number, patches, or distinctive features. These are public officials on duty.
• What happened: whether anyone was detained, and whether a warrant was shown.

Protect yourself before you send

Document from a safe distance and never put yourself or the people being detained at greater risk. Two things worth knowing about the files on your phone:

• Metadata. When footage reaches us, our review strips location and device data from anything we publish. But the original file still on your phone keeps that data. If that is a concern, remove it before sending, or send through ICE Watch, which is built to handle this.
• What "we do not record your identity" means. ICE Watch asks for no account and no name, and we do not tie a submission to you. It is not a promise about your network: ordinary web traffic can carry an IP address. If you need to be certain you are anonymous, use a VPN or the Tor Browser, or send through Hushline below, which is built for it.

See also how we protect contributors.

Send something sensitive: Hushline

For sensitive or high-risk material, use our encrypted, anonymous tip line, Hushline. It does not require your name or an account. For an ongoing, confirmed source we can arrange an additional secure channel; ask through Hushline.

General contact

For non-sensitive questions, corrections, or press, email icelist@crustnews.com. Email is not anonymous and not encrypted, so do not use it to send sensitive tips; use Hushline or ICE Watch for those.