iPhone app that alerts local users to ICE sightings faces backlash from officials
It has been criticized by major figures inside the Trump administration
Amid significant controversy surrounding Trump's deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across the country, one software developer has released an app that lets you track sightings in an attempt to fight back against the government.
One of US President Donald Trump's biggest pushes during his second term in the Oval Office has been stricter immigration policy, especially in relation to those already inside the United States.
There have been significant arrests and deportations since Trump took charge, led by masked ICE agents and involving a number of legally dubious seizures based on incorrect information.
Trump has even threatened to deport short-term close ally Elon Musk following their publicized fallout, yet one man has developed an app called 'ICEBlock' to help Americans combat immigration-related arrests by tracking the movements of ICE officers across the country.
How does ICEBlock work?
As reported by CNN, ICEBlock, released in early April, provides users with the means of anonymously tagging the locations of ICE officers once they have been spotted, letting people potentially avoid areas in which could run the risk of an arrest.
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It currently boasts over 20,000 users, most of which are located in Los Angeles, and is only available on iPhone through Apple's App Store due to the affordance of anonymity that would be compromised if released on the Google Play Store and Android devices.
Users can add a pin to an interactive map detailing where ICE officers have been spotted, and they can also provide annotations including what the agents were wearing and what car they were driving, as they are often in predominantly plain clothes.
Users in a five mile radius of a new pin will then be notified of the spotting, alerting them of a situation that they might want to avoid.
There have also been safeguards implemented against false reports, as users are able to only place pins within five miles of their current location, and are limited to one pin every five minutes, preventing any cases of spam from happening.
Speaking to CNN, the app's developer Joshua Aaron outlined that he was motivated to create the app when he saw the actions of ICE agents across America, detailing that he "wanted to do something to fight back," and comparing deportation efforts to Nazi Germany.
How have officials responded to ICEBlock?
Key members of the Trump administration have expressed their clear opposition to the ICEBlock app, with many claiming the alleged dangers that agents might face as a consequence of the location pins.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons claimed that the app "basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers' backs," adding that "officers and agents are already facing a 500% increase in assaults."
Aaron and the app itself refutes these claims though, as a disclaimer warning appears whenever you log a new sighting that states:
"Please note that the use of this app is for information and notification purposes only. It is not to be used with the purposes of inciting violence or interfering with law enforcement."
Some Trump allies have even escalated their anger towards CNN for allegedly 'promoting' the app, as Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem outlined:
"We're working with the Department of Justice to see if we can prosecute them, because what they're doing is actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement activities and operations," Noem argued. "We're going to actually go after them and prosecute them. What they're doing is illegal."
CNN responded by opposition Noem's accusations, outlining that reporting on the app does not constitute promotion or endorsement.