ICEBlock Developer Sues Trump Administration Over First Amendment Violations in Immigration Tracking App Removal

Apple removed ICEBlock and similar applications from its app store in October following governmental pressure.

The developer of an iPhone application designed to report U.S. immigration agent sightings filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, claiming free speech violations. The lawsuit alleges that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi utilized government authority to compel Apple to remove the application.

In October, Apple eliminated ICEBlock and related applications from its app store after Bondi claimed these apps endangered Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers by allowing individuals to monitor ICE activities in their communities.

ICEBlock creator Joshua Aaron's lawsuit contends that governmental actions violated First Amendment protections.

"We're seeking judicial precedent affirming that ICEBlock constitutes First Amendment-protected speech and that developing it violated no laws," Aaron explained during a Monday interview. "Additionally, we aim to prevent similar governmental interventions in the future."

Aaron added that the lawsuit also seeks "to halt threats against myself and my family."

The legal action requests federal judicial protection for the Texas-based developer from prosecution, citing "unlawful threats made by Attorney General Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons, and White House Border Czar Tom Homan to criminally investigate and prosecute Aaron for his role in developing ICEBlock."

The Department of Justice declined commenting on the lawsuit beyond Bondi's previous app-related statements.

With over one million users, ICEBlock was the most popular ICE-tracking application in Apple's app store until October, when Bondi announced her office had contacted Apple "demanding that they remove ICEBlock," claiming it "is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs."

Apple promptly complied, informing Aaron via email that further downloads would be blocked because "information provided to Apple by law enforcement" indicated the app violated store policies.

According to the email Aaron shared with The Associated Press in October, Apple stated the application violated company policies "because its purpose is to provide location information about law enforcement officers that can be used to harm such officers individually or as a group." Aaron has maintained that his app functions no differently than Apple's maps application that alerts drivers to nearby police speed enforcement zones.

Google similarly removed certain ICE-tracking applications from its app store in October, though ICEBlock was never available on the Android platform.

Aaron contends that Trump's immigration enforcement has intensified since his application's removal, and reduced information transparency enables a "paramilitary force that can continue to operate with impunity." He has repeatedly compared Trump's immigration enforcers to Nazi Germany's "Gestapo" secret police, though the lawsuit avoids this comparison, instead referencing American founders' warnings against domestic tyranny.

"These individuals wear masks—contradicting fundamental American values—while refusing to identify themselves, zip-tying children, and forcing women into vans," Aaron stated during Monday's phone interview.

Earlier this year, Bondi told Fox News that Aaron endangered law enforcement by "giving a message to criminals where our federal officers are. And he cannot do that. And we are looking at it, we are looking at him, and he better watch out, because that's not protected speech."

Aaron launched the application in April to help immigrant communities protect themselves from unexpected raids and potential harassment. While immigrant advocacy groups expressed mixed opinions regarding the app's utility, civil liberties experts noted that efforts to remove it resembled actions by authoritarian governments, such as when Chinese pressure in 2019 prompted Apple to remove an application enabling Hong Kong protesters to track police movements.

Apple, not named in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to comment requests.