ICEBlock app developers sue Trump administration on free speech grounds

ICEBlock, an app designed to document and alert users to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) movements, is suing the Trump administration for violating free speech protections after federal officials allegedly pressured tech companies like Apple to remove the app from online marketplaces.

In the lawsuit, the app’s developers argue that White House officials’ actions to pressure private tech companies amount to illegal censorship and a violation of the First Amendment, disputing an assertion by officials that ICEBlock did not fall within forms of protected speech.

“The Bill of Rights – including the First Amendment – ​​was designed precisely to protect the people’s ability to question authority, expose government abuses, and hold public officials accountable: a reflection of its founders’ belief that informed, vocal citizens are the ultimate guardians of liberty,” the complaint reads.

White House officials argued that the app posed a threat to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials and an “incitement of violence” against ICE agents. In response, Apple removed ICEBlock along with other applications that allow individuals to record, document, and map immigration law enforcement movements, including Eyes Up, which is intended as a non-real-time archive of ICE activity intended for use in legal defenses and other testimony.

Broadly speaking, the administration has pressured marketplaces like the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to remove apps that allow individuals to document the conduct of federal DHS agents and associated law enforcement. Last week, leaders of the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability sent letters to said companies detailing an ongoing investigation into the creation, distribution, and promotion of such apps.

“The Committee is concerned that these applications not only jeopardize the safety of DHS personnel, but also enable malicious actors to incite violence and interfere with lawful government operations,” the letter said. This same argument was used by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who later threatened to sue media outlets that popularized ICE tracking apps. Attorney General Pam Bondi also threatened legal action against ICEBlock creator Josh Aaron, who recently filed a lawsuit.

In response to widespread protests in communities across the country – focused on the often unlawful actions of immigration officials in schools, residence halls and other historically protected areas – House committees also investigated “the rise of anti-law enforcement sentiment” and the “detrimental impacts of doxing on morale and operational effectiveness” on immigration enforcement.