The developer of ICEBlock, a popular iPhone app designed to flag sightings of U.S. immigration enforcement officers, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration alleging violations of free speech. The legal action, initiated on Monday, claims that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi used her authority to pressure Apple into removing the app from its store.
ICEBlock, which had more than one million users and was the most widely downloaded ICE-tracking app on Apple’s platform, was taken down in October after Bondi argued that it endangered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel by enabling the public to track officer activity in real time.
Developer Claims First Amendment Violation
Joshua Aaron, the Texas-based software developer behind the app, said the government’s actions amounted to censorship.
“We’re basically asking the court to set a precedent and affirm that ICEBlock is First Amendment-protected speech, and that I did nothing wrong by creating it,” Aaron said in an interview. “And to make sure they can’t do this same thing again in the future.”
Aaron also claims the government has “threatened” him and his family, prompting him to seek judicial protection from prosecution.
The lawsuit specifically names Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons, and White House Border Czar Tom Homan, alleging they issued “unlawful threats” to investigate and prosecute Aaron for developing the app.
The Department of Justice declined to comment beyond referring to Bondi’s earlier statements regarding the dangers posed by the app.
Apple Removed the App After Law Enforcement Complaints
According to a message Apple sent to Aaron — and later shared with The Associated Press — the company blocked further downloads after receiving information from law enforcement that deemed the app unsafe.
Apple said ICEBlock violated its store policies because it provided location information about law enforcement officers that could be used to “harm such officers individually or as a group.”
Aaron disputes that claim, arguing the app functions similarly to Apple Maps’ ability to alert drivers about police speed checks. He says ICEBlock merely crowd-sourced reports from users and helped immigrant communities stay informed.
Google also removed some ICE-related tracking apps in October after Apple’s move, though Aaron’s ICEBlock app had never been available on the Google Play Store.
Aaron Says Crackdown Is Intensifying
The developer argues that Trump’s immigration enforcement actions have become even more aggressive since the app’s removal.
With less public visibility into operations, he claims, immigration officers are operating like a “paramilitary force that can continue to operate with impunity.” While he has repeatedly compared Trump’s enforcers to Nazi Germany’s Gestapo in past comments, the lawsuit itself uses a different framing — citing the U.S. founders’ warnings about domestic tyranny.
“These are people wearing masks — the antithesis of everything about this country — not identifying themselves, zip-tying children, and throwing women into vans,” Aaron said.
Bondi: “He Better Watch Out”
Pam Bondi earlier told Fox News that Aaron endangered federal officers by publicising their locations.
“He is giving a message to criminals about where our federal officers are. And he cannot do that,” Bondi said. “We are looking at it, we are looking at him, and he better watch out, because that’s not protected speech.”
App Launched to Support Immigrant Communities
Aaron launched ICEBlock in April to help immigrant communities protect themselves from unexpected ICE raids and possible harassment. While some immigrant advocates had mixed opinions about the 앱’s effectiveness, civil liberties groups warned that removing it echoed tactics seen in authoritarian regimes.
One comparison cited: Apple’s 2019 removal of an app used by Hong Kong protesters to track police movements after pressure from the Chinese government — a move widely criticised as political censorship.
Apple, which is not named as a defendant in Aaron’s lawsuit, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.