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 massive tech big that the app put regulation enforcement officers in danger.
DOJ officers, on the route of Legal professional Normal 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 stated 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 regulation enforcement is an insupportable pink line that can not be crossed,” Bondi added. “This Division of Justice will proceed making each effort to guard our courageous federal regulation enforcement officers, who danger their lives on daily basis to maintain People protected.”
BONDI DECLARES ‘NEW ERA’ OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE AS FEDERAL AGENTS DEPLOY TO ICE FACILITIES NATIONWIDE
Legal professional Normal 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 capturing at an ICE subject workplace in Dallas, Texas, the newest in a sequence of assaults that seemed to be concentrating on immigration enforcement officers.
Authorities stated the suspect, Joshua Jahn, searched his cellphone for monitoring apps, together with ICEBlock, earlier than opening fireplace on the ability from a rooftop. Authorities stated Jahn killed one detainee and left two critically injured however that the personnel have 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 performing director for ICE’s removing operations, stated throughout a press convention that Jahn had supposed to homicide ICE staff 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 stated. “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 stated 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 stated 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 data we’ve acquired from regulation enforcement in regards to the security dangers related to ICEBlock, we’ve eliminated it and related apps from the App Retailer,” Apple stated.
Joshua Aaron, ICEBlock’s creator, stated he was “extremely upset by Apple’s actions right this moment.”
“Capitulating to an authoritarian regime isn’t the precise transfer,” Aaron stated. “Apple has claimed they acquired data from regulation enforcement that ICEBlock served to hurt regulation enforcement officers. That is patently false.”
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Aaron stated ICEBlock, which has greater than 1.1 million customers, features 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 all the pieces we’ve,” Aaron stated. “Our mission has all the time been to guard our neighbors from the fear this administration continues to reign down on the individuals of this nation.”
