'I'm Getting Arrested' Smartphone App For Undocumented Immigrants Under Way (VIDEO)
In the state that signed into law the country's most controversial and stringent immigration measure, SB-1070 in 2010, a new smartphone app is under way to help undocumented immigrants notify friends and family of their exact location, should they be pulled over and arrested.
Much like another Android application that was developed for Occupy Wall Street activists, this app would send a pre-set message to all those concerned, including their local consulate and attorneys.
As New American Media reports, this version of eApp (Emergency Alert & Protection Program), is the work of two Arizona immigrant rights organizations who see a need in expediting communication.
“It’s difficult,” says Lydia Guzman, Executive Director of the non-profit Respect-Respeto in South Phoenix, Arizona. “We try to get all of this information from them to reach their family, while at the same time we’re trying to advise them about their rights.”
Respect-Respeto runs a 24-hour hotline for undocumented immigrants seeking information about their rights.
Similarly, this application would provide users with information about their right to remain silent and have an attorney present during questioning in English and Spanish. And, like many standard cell phones with photo capabilities, the eApp would send photos and video to a web interface for their contacts to access.
Todd Landfried of the Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform (AEIR), a statewide coalition of businesses working for comprehensive immigration reform, says of the project: “This is about protecting people. Everybody has rights, whether you like it or not.”
The two organizations have started an online fundraising campaign to support the cost of development. For more information about the eApp's development, visit the project’s website.
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First Posted: 03/ 8/2012 3:35 pm Updated: 03/ 8/2012 6:51 pm