Performing U.S. Lawyer 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 large that the app put legislation enforcement officers in danger.
DOJ officers, on the route of Lawyer 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 at risk and helps protect unlawful immigrants.
“We reached out to Apple right this moment demanding they take away the ICEBlock app from their App Retailer — and Apple did so,” Bondi mentioned.
“ICEBlock is designed to place ICE brokers in danger only for doing their jobs, and violence in opposition to legislation enforcement is an insupportable crimson line that can not be crossed. This Division of Justice will proceed making each effort to guard our courageous federal legislation enforcement officers, who danger their lives day-after-day to maintain People protected.”
BONDI DECLARES ‘NEW ERA’ OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE AS FEDERAL AGENTS DEPLOY TO ICE FACILITIES NATIONWIDE
Lawyer Common Pam Bondi speaks throughout a information convention at DEA headquarters July 15, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (Alex Wong/Getty Photographs / Getty Photographs)
Controversy surrounding ICE monitoring apps intensified after final month’s lethal taking pictures at an ICE discipline workplace in Dallas, Texas, the most recent in a sequence of assaults that gave the impression to be focusing on immigration enforcement officers.
Authorities mentioned the suspect, Joshua Jahn, searched his telephone for monitoring apps, together with ICEBlock, earlier than opening fireplace on the ability from a rooftop. Authorities mentioned Jahn killed one detainee and left two critically injured however that the personnel had been his supposed 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 removing operations, mentioned throughout a press convention that Jahn had supposed to homicide ICE workers and that assaults on them have skyrocketed.
“The proof is evident that this was supposed 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% enhance 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 protected and trusted place to find apps. Primarily based on info we’ve acquired from legislation enforcement in regards to the security dangers related to ICEBlock, we’ve got eliminated it and comparable apps from the App Retailer,” Apple mentioned.
Joshua Aaron, ICEBlock’s creator, mentioned he was “extremely dissatisfied by Apple’s actions right this moment.”
“Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is rarely the precise transfer,” Aaron mentioned. “Apple has claimed they acquired 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, capabilities like different mapping purposes that use crowd sourcing for pace traps, citing Apple’s personal map service for example.
“We’re decided to struggle this with every part we’ve got,” Aaron mentioned. “Our mission has all the time been to guard our neighbors from the phobia this administration continues to reign down on the folks of this nation.”
