Appearing U.S. Legal professional for the Northern District of Texas Nancy Larson discusses risks posed by ICE monitoring apps.
FIRST ON FOX: Apple dropped ICEBlock, a extensively used monitoring instrument, from its App Retailer Thursday after the Division of Justice raised issues with the large tech big that the app put legislation enforcement officers in danger.
DOJ officers, on the course of Legal professional Common Pam Bondi, requested Apple to take down ICEBlock, a transfer that comes as Trump administration officers have claimed the instrument, which permits customers to anonymously report ICE brokers’ presence, places brokers in peril and helps protect unlawful immigrants.
“We reached out to Apple immediately demanding they take away the ICEBlock app from their App Retailer — and Apple did so,” Bondi mentioned in an announcement to Fox Information Digital.
“ICEBlock is designed to place ICE brokers in danger only for doing their jobs, and violence in opposition to legislation enforcement is an insupportable pink line that can’t be crossed,” Bondi added. “This Division of Justice will proceed making each effort to guard our courageous federal legislation enforcement officers, who threat their lives day by day to maintain People secure.”
BONDI DECLARES ‘NEW ERA’ OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE AS FEDERAL AGENTS DEPLOY TO ICE FACILITIES NATIONWIDE
Legal professional Common Pam Bondi speaks throughout a information convention at DEA headquarters July 15, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (Alex Wong/Getty Pictures / Getty Pictures)
Controversy surrounding ICE monitoring apps intensified after final month’s lethal capturing at an ICE discipline workplace in Dallas, Texas, the most recent in a collection of assaults that seemed to be focusing on immigration enforcement officers.
Authorities mentioned the suspect, Joshua Jahn, searched his cellphone for monitoring apps, together with ICEBlock, earlier than opening hearth on the ability from a rooftop. Authorities mentioned Jahn killed one detainee and left two critically injured however that the personnel have been his meant targets, not the immigrants. One of many injured, a 32-year-old husband and father of 4, died this week.
Marcos Charles, an appearing director for ICE’s elimination operations, mentioned throughout a press convention that Jahn had meant to homicide ICE staff and that assaults on them have skyrocketed.
“The proof is obvious that this was meant as an assault on ICE personnel who come to work on a regular basis to do their job,” Charles mentioned. “Violent rhetoric has led to an over 1000% improve in assaults on ICE officers, and it has to cease.”
Joshua Jahn allegedly shot at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 24, 2025, and the FBI mentioned a bullet with “ANTI-ICE” on it was discovered on the scene. (FBI; Contributed to Fox Information)
Fox Information Digital reached out to Apple and ICEBlock for remark.
Apple mentioned in an announcement it eliminated ICEBlock and different apps prefer it.
“We created the App Retailer to be a secure and trusted place to find apps. Based mostly on info we’ve obtained from legislation enforcement in regards to the security dangers related to ICEBlock, we’ve got eliminated it and related apps from the App Retailer,” Apple mentioned.
Joshua Aaron, ICEBlock’s creator, mentioned he was “extremely disenchanted by Apple’s actions immediately.”
“Capitulating to an authoritarian regime isn’t the fitting transfer,” Aaron mentioned. “Apple has claimed they obtained info from legislation enforcement that ICEBlock served to hurt legislation enforcement officers. That is patently false.”
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Aaron mentioned ICEBlock, which has greater than 1.1 million customers, features like different mapping functions that use crowd sourcing for pace traps, citing Apple’s personal map service for example.
“We’re decided to combat this with the whole lot we’ve got,” Aaron mentioned. “Our mission has at all times been to guard our neighbors from the phobia this administration continues to reign down on the folks of this nation.”
