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California Opens Public Portal to Report Alleged ICE Misconduct — Submit Photos & Videos

06:07 AM, 12/04/2025
California Opens Public Portal to Report Alleged ICE Misconduct — Submit Photos & Videos

California has launched an online portal where the public can submit photos, videos and other evidence of alleged misconduct by federal immigration agents so the state Department of Justice can document incidents and consider legal action. The portal lists examples such as excessive force, unlawful searches, wrongful detentions and voting interference. Similar initiatives and public appeals to record operations have appeared in Illinois and New York. DHS has defended its personnel while tech companies removed apps that tracked agents citing safety concerns.

California on Dec. 3 launched an online portal that allows members of the public to submit videos, photos and other evidence of possible crimes or civil-rights violations by federal immigration agents, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The state said the portal is intended to help the California Department of Justice build a record of potential unlawful conduct by federal agents and to inform possible legal actions to protect residents' rights.

How the portal works

The portal accepts multimedia and written submissions documenting incidents that users believe may involve misconduct. The state's guidance lists examples of potentially unlawful activity, including use of excessive force, unlawful searches or arrests, wrongful detentions, interference with voting, and other civil-rights violations.

Context and reactions

Immigrant-rights groups have reported that some federal immigration operations — sometimes conducted by masked agents — have used aggressive tactics and led to widespread concern in affected communities. In response to similar operations elsewhere, officials in other states have encouraged public documentation of raids and encounters with federal agents.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker previously urged residents to record federal immigration operations and his administration created an independent commission to collect evidence and testimony about federal agents' conduct. New York Attorney General Letitia James also invited the public to submit videos and photos of immigration raids for review.

Federal response and related issues

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the portal. DHS has defended its agents in past statements, saying they are lawfully executing federal immigration enforcement orders.

Advocates and community members have used smartphones and apps to track and record federal immigration activity nationwide. The Trump administration has argued that some tracking efforts have coincided with an increase in threats or attacks against agents. In October, Apple and Alphabet (Google's parent company) said they removed apps designed to track immigration agents from their app stores amid those safety concerns.

Reporting by Brad Brooks

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