Human Rights First Launches ReadyNow! App to Offer Lifeline to Immigrants During ICE Encounters

Today, Human Rights First’s Innovation Lab announced the launch of ReadyNow!, a free and secure mobile app designed to help immigrants prepare for possible detention and act quickly in moments of crisis.

“No one should disappear into detention without a trace,” said Perris Richter, Senior Director of the Innovation Lab at Human Rights First. ICE arrests are often sudden and disorienting, leaving people unable to notify loved ones, arrange child or pet care, or access legal help. ReadyNow! empowers users to create a personalized emergency plan and instantly notify trusted contacts with one click if they face imminent arrest. “This is not about politics. This is about safety and human dignity.”

Key features of the app include:

• One-click emergency alerts via SMS to pre-selected contacts
• Personalized emergency plans for childcare, medical needs, legal support, and more 
• Option to share key information with National Immigration Legal Response Alliance (NILRA) if faced with arrest, a national network of pro bono immigration attorneys
• Currently available in six languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Haitian Kreyol, and French

Unlike paper or PDF-based emergency plans, ReadyNow! is built for real-time response. If users have a run-in with ICE, they simply press the big red alert button and ReadyNow! will send out those emergency messages via SMS to pre-assigned contacts. All data is encrypted, stored only on the user’s device, not on the Cloud, and deleted after an alert is sent—preventing access by ICE if the phone is seized.

Developed in partnership with the NILRA, immigration attorneys, community advocates, and cybersecurity experts, to ensure the app is not only effective but safe to use—especially under the uniquely hostile enforcement environment of the current administration.

ReadyNow! is available now for free download on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.