By Robert Birsel

Copyright newsweek

Apple dropped a widely used tracking app know as ICEBlock, a piece of crowdsourced iPhone software, from its App Store Thursday, after the Department of Justice raised concerns that it put law enforcement officers at risk.

The app quickly rose to the top of Apple’s social networking downloads by letting users share and track real-time reports of ICE activity.

Newsweek contacted the Department of Justice via an online form during after-office hours seeking comment.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump‘s administration is enacting plans for widespread deportations as part of a hard-line mass removal policy, spearheaded by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE is facing growing scrutiny for its tactics regarding allegations of misconduct and denying due process rights. President Donald Trump pledged to supporters that his administration would remove millions of individuals living in the U.S. without legal status.

The White House maintains that anyone living in the country illegally is considered to be a criminal by the federal government, but critics say the raids sow fear in immigrant communities.

What To Know

The app allows users who spot ICE enforcement activity to drop a location-based pin, notifying everyone within a 5 to 10-mile radius. Other users can confirm reports, share photos, and coordinate safe next steps, all without revealing their identities.

The Department of Homeland Security has said the app “paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs.”

Apple said it was responding to such concerns.

“We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted place to discover apps. Based on information we’ve received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store,” Apple said in an emailed statement.

Federal Agents, several with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), a part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), regroup before heading out on an operation, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in a residential neighborhood in northwest Washington.

Fox News reported that Department of Justice (DOJ) officials, at the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi, had asked Apple to withdraw the app.

“We reached out to Apple today demanding it remove the ICEBlock app from their App Store—and Apple did so,” Bondi said in a statement to Fox News.

“ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed,” Bondi said.

ICE personnel and facilities have been a target of protesters and some violent attacks.

A shooting at a Dallas immigration field office on September 24 killed two detainees and wounded one. No ICE personnel were hurt in that incident.

Bondi issued a memo on Monday directing several law enforcement agencies to send agents to crack down on protests outside ICE facilities.

Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have previously cautioned Joshua Aaron, the Texas-based developer of ICEBlock, that he is “not protected” under the Constitution and indicated that he could face prosecution.

Aaron criticised Apple’s action and called the removal a capitulation to political pressure, saying he was “incredibly disappointed” and that the app functioned like other crowdsourced mapping services. He said he intended to challenge the decision.

“Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move,” Aaron said. “Apple has claimed they received information from law enforcement that ICEBlock served to harm law enforcement officers. This is patently false.”

What People Are Saying

Joshua Aaron, the creator of ICEBlock, told Newsweek in July: “I have continually made it clear, both via wording in the app and through media, that this is an early warning system. In no way are we encouraging ICEBlock users to interfere with law enforcement.”

Rep. Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas, wrote in a post on X: “Thank you, @AGPamBondi for taking crucial action to remove the ICEBlock app from the App Store following my letter raising concern for this dangerous technology. We must always protect our law enforcement from such heinous targeted attacks.”

A statement on the ICEBlock app tells users: “Please note that the use of this app is for information and notification purposes only. It is not to be used for the purposes of inciting violence or interfering with law enforcement.”

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said on X on July 1: “This sure looks like obstruction of justice. Our brave ICE law enforcement face a 500 percent increase in assaults against them. 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.”