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ICEBlock Developer Sues Trump Administration, Says App Removal Violated First Amendment

01:10 AM, 12/09/2025
ICEBlock Developer Sues Trump Administration, Says App Removal Violated First Amendment

Joshua Aaron, developer of the ICEBlock iPhone app, sued the Trump administration alleging First Amendment violations after Apple removed his app. The complaint claims Attorney General Pam Bondi and other officials pressured Apple and threatened criminal probes. Aaron seeks a federal order to prevent prosecution and restore protections for his speech. The Department of Justice had no immediate comment.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The creator of ICEBlock, an iPhone app that alerted users to sightings of U.S. immigration agents, filed a federal lawsuit on Monday alleging that the Trump administration violated his free-speech rights and improperly pressured Apple to remove the app.

Joshua Aaron, the Texas-based developer behind ICEBlock, says in the complaint that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and other officials used government authority to compel Apple to pull the app from its App Store. The suit contends those actions amount to a First Amendment violation and asks a judge to bar federal prosecutors from pursuing criminal charges against Aaron.

The complaint also alleges what it calls unlawful threats by senior officials, naming Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons and White House border official Tom Homan, who Aaron says threatened criminal investigation or prosecution related to his role in developing ICEBlock.

Apple removed ICEBlock and several similar apps from the App Store in October after Bondi publicly said the apps endangered Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers by allowing people to track ICE activity in neighborhoods. Apple informed Aaron that new information provided by law enforcement indicated the app violated App Store policies because it could be used to provide location information about law enforcement officers that might be used to harm them.

Apple's response: According to an email Aaron shared with The Associated Press, Apple said it would block further downloads after receiving additional information from law enforcement suggesting the app breached the company’s rules.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The case is likely to raise questions about when government pressure on private platforms crosses the line into unconstitutional suppression of speech.

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