A hot potato: Remember ICEBlock? Apple pulled the tracking tool, which shows the most recent locations of ICE agents, from its App Store in October following a demand from the DoJ. Now, its developer is suing the US government over claims it infringed his free speech rights.
ICEBlock allows users to anonymously report the most recent sightings of ICE agents by dropping a pin on a map and sharing those reports with others in their vicinity.
The app had more than 1.1 million users, but Attorney General Pam Bondi said it was designed to put ICE agents at risk "just for doing their jobs."
Bondi reportedly demanded that Apple remove ICEBlock from its store, which it did along with several other apps that offered similar functionality.
The app's creator, Joshua Aaron, criticized the Trump administration for pressuring Apple at the time, complaining that capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move.
This sure looks like obstruction of justice. Our brave ICE law enforcement face a 500% increase in assaults against them.
– Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) June 30, 2025
If you obstruct or assault our law enforcement, we will hunt you down and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. pic.twitter.com/4ZcfrpyRV1
Now, Aaron has filed a lawsuit against Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and other administration officials. The suit claims that these individuals made "unconstitutional threats and demands against Apple" that resulted in ICEBlock's removal.
"When we see our government doing something wrong, it's our duty as citizens of this nation to hold them accountable, and that is exactly what we're doing with this lawsuit," Aaron said.
The lawsuit asks the court to stop the defendants from "coercing, threatening, or demanding Apple or other app distribution services in order to stop distribution of the App" and "threatening, investigating, or prosecuting Aaron."
The demand to remove the app came after the FBI reported the gunman behind the deadly shooting at an ICE field office in Dallas, Texas, in September had searched his phone for tracking apps, including ICEBlock. The shooter opened fire from a rooftop, killing two immigrants and injuring a third, though he was allegedly targeting ICE agents. The FBI said a bullet was found with "ANTI-ICE" written on it.
Apple said at the time that it had removed ICEBlock because of the safety risks associated with the app. According to the suit, it cited a review guideline that states apps cannot include objectionable content intended to humiliate, intimidate, or harm a targeted group – though professional political satirists and humorists are generally exempt from this requirement.
ICEBlock had been available on the App Store since April before it was removed – it still works for those who downloaded it. Legal experts say that surveillance of immigration agents is largely protected under the US Constitution, providing people don't interfere with their work.
Aaron told CNBC that his complaint was inspired by the US founding fathers, who believed that "the survival of our democratic republic isn't guaranteed."
"It requires constant vigilance, active and informed participation of its citizens," Aaron said. "When we see or think our government is doing something wrong, it's our duty to hold them accountable. And that is the heart of this lawsuit."
"Growing up in a Jewish household, I learned from history about the consequences of staying silent in the face of tyranny," Aaron said in a statement. "I will never back down from resisting the Trump Administration's targeting of immigrants and conscripting corporations into its unconstitutional agenda."
In July, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons slammed ICEBlock as being "reckless and irresponsible," claiming that it "paints a target on federal law enforcement officers' backs." Ironically, it was this controversy and ensuing publicity that pushed ICEBlock to the top of the App Store.