Harbor

cover
problem statement
key features
designs
tech stack

Inspiration

This project was inspired by the growing fear and uncertainty facing immigrant communities in California, where intensified immigration enforcement under the Trump administration has triggered a wave of deportations and detentions. As of April 2025, California, which is home to the nation’s largest undocumented population with around 10 million, has become a focal point for these aggressive federal policies.

In response to this climate, our team saw an opportunity to create a platform that could serve as a vital lifeline: one that centralizes resources, simplifies legal information, and empowers individuals to understand and protect their rights. Our goal is not just to provide tools, but to offer reassurance and agency to those who are being systematically silenced and marginalized.

What it does

Harbor, inspired by the idea of providing a “safe harbor” for immigrants and migrants, offers support through 3 main features: an accessible ICE activity heatmap that relies on both user and officially reported (from immigration activist organizations) events; an SOS alert system that quickly notifies trusted contacts quickly emergencies; and a centralized hub of legal resources to combat unjust deportations and wage thefts. The hub also includes the widely recognized red cards created by the ILRC, which help monolingual immigrants assert their legal rights. To protect the privacy of immigrants concerned about their status and identity, the app collects no personal information, ensuring complete anonymity when reporting events and accessing resources.

How we built it

We started by identifying the four core features we believed were essential for the app. With those defined, we mapped out the data structure to determine how it would be stored and how the database tables would relate to each other. To quickly spin up a backend within our limited time frame, we used Supabase for its built-in hosting, storage capabilities, and intuitive visual table editor, which made managing data types and relationships more efficient.

For the frontend, we started off with designing in Figma and establishing a strong design system to develop a navigable and cohesive interface. We chose React Native with Expo due to its cross-platform support and approachable learning curve, especially coming from a web-based React background. As the complexity of our features deepened, we found ourselves on a tight timeline, but followed best practices in organizing our file structure and used NativeWind to streamline component styling.

Ultimately, this tech stack enabled us to build a functional MVP under time constraints while also sharpening our technical skills along the way.

Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges was designing a solution for a deeply complex issue; our invested a significant amount of our hacking time (4 hours!) into understanding our users’ unique needs and circumstances before we could even begin ideating meaningful features. On top of that, working within a short hackathon timeline made mobile development particularly demanding. Building for iOS with Expo was especially time-consuming, as getting the simulator up and running often slowed down our momentum.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud of how much we were able to accomplish in such a short amount of time, especially given the complexity of the problem space. Despite the tight deadline, we built a feature-rich product that thoughtfully addresses the real needs of immigrants. From ideation to execution, every feature was designed with impact in mind—focusing on usability, accessibility, and genuine support for those navigating challenging and often hostile environments.

What we learned

Working on Harbor taught our team to approach software development from a problem-first perspective. As we dove deeper into the issue, we gained a greater understanding of the real-world impact that immigration policies have on millions of Californians. Collaborating cross-functionally, combining design, development, and research, we were able to translate this understanding into meaningful product decisions that centered the needs of those most affected.