The creator of ICEBlock, an app that notifies users when immigration agents are nearby, is suing top Trump administration officials, accusing them of unlawfully pressuring Apple to remove his app from its store and effectively silencing protected speech. The lawsuit, filed by Joshua Aaron on Monday in federal court in Washington, DC, names Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, among others, and accuses them of mounting a campaign to suppress speech that is protected under the First Amendment. Aaron maintains that officials wrongly threatened him for developing and promoting the app, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Bondi said in October that the Justice Department had demanded that Apple remove the app, claiming it endangered agents. Apple said it did so due to safety concerns raised by law enforcement but declined further comment. Public reports by Apple show the company has pulled apps when asked by China, Russia, and other authoritarian governments but not at the US government's request, per the New York Times. Apple also removed the DeICER app that facilitated reports of immigration enforcement, and Google pulled Red Dot, a similar app. Meta took down a Facebook group used to report ICE agent sightings in the Chicago area.
ICEBlock, which debuted in April after a lengthy Apple review, lets users report ICE sightings and alert people nearby. The app drew increased attention after a CNN report in June. Bondi then announced that the administration had demanded Apple take the app out of its store, adding, "and Apple did so." Noam Biale, the lawyer who filed the suit, said her remarks demonstrate that the government illegally pressured a private company to suppress free speech, per NPR. Republican lawmakers also have pressured Apple and Google to keep similar apps off their platforms.
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