Trump Administration Sued By Immigration App For Forcing Apple With 'Unconstitutional Threats'
The developer of ICEBlock, an app that monitored immigration enforcement activity, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, two months after the app was pulled from Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) App Store.
First Amendment Violation Cited
The developer, Joshua Aaron, based in Texas, has filed a lawsuit against several Trump administration officials. He claims they effectively pressured Apple into removing the app.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, names Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons, and White House border czar Tom Homan as defendants.
The lawsuit accuses them of making “unconstitutional threats and demands against Apple” in violation of the First Amendment.
“For what appears to be the first time in Apple’s nearly fifty-year history, Apple removed a U.S.-based app in response to the U.S. government’s demands,” the complaint states.
Growing Dissatisfaction Surrounding ICE
ICEBlock, launched in April, tracked ICE officers' locations and sent alerts when they were nearby, was removed from the App Store in October after Apple cited safety concerns.
Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly called for its removal, arguing that the app endangered ICE agents and could incite violence against law enforcement.
In June, it was reported that a network of AI-powered license plate cameras in over 5,000 U.S. communities was being indirectly used by ICE. While the agency has no formal agreement with provider Flock Safety, local police have conducted around 4,000 searches in the system at ICE's request, often citing immigration-related reasons such as "ICE" or "immigration violation."
This lawsuit comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to crack down on immigration enforcement, as seen in the recent promise by former ICE director Tom Homan to ramp up enforcement operations in New York City, which drew criticism from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y).
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.