Popular news station CNN have become a major target for the Trump administration, as government officials allege that the station 'promoted' an app that helps users track and potentially avoid Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
One of the most controversial moves of the Trump administration so far is the mobilization of ICE to target undocumented citizens - and sometimes even legal residents - inside of the United States.
Communities across the country have both protested and arranged counter measures to prevent ICE agents from arresting targeted individuals, and one disgruntled software developer took things to another level to fight back against the government's hostile actions.
Joshua Aaron developed and released the app 'IceBlock', which gives users the ability to monitor and track immigration agents in their local area, and CNN has now been targeted by the Trump administration for reporting on the app.
Advert
What has the Trump administration said about CNN?
As reported by The Guardian, multiple key members of Trump's government have spoken out against CNN, accusing the news network of 'promoting' an app that actively sabotages the goals of law enforcement.
Speaking at 'Alligator Alcatraz' - a new ICE detention center in Florida - homeland security secretary Kristi Noem revealed:
Advert
"We're working with 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. We're going to actually go after them and prosecute them. What they're doing is illegal."
Tom Homan, the current director of ICE, called CNN's reporting "disgusting," adding that he "can't believe we live in a world where the men and women in law enforcement are the bad guys. It's already a dangerous job."
President Trump echoed the comments made by Noem, adding that CNN should also face prosecution for sharing what he calls "false reports on the attack on Iran," which relates to a Pentagon leak that US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities did not fully destroy the program.
"They were totally obliterated. Our people have to be celebrated [and] not come home to, 'What do you mean we didn't hit the targets?'," Trump continued.
Has CNN responded to the accusations?
One CNN spokesperson has defending the news network's reporting of the IceBlock app, outlining that it "is an app that is publicly available to any iPhone user who wants to download it.
Advert
"There is nothing illegal about reporting the existence of this or any other app, nor does such reporting constitute promotion or other endorsement of the app by CNN."
Joshua Aaron, the creator of the app, revealed to CNN that he was motivated to forge his idea "when I saw what was happening to this country." He outlined that he "wanted to do something to fight back," and that "we're literally watching history repeat itself" after making a comparison to Nazi Germany.