Overview
- Joshua Aaron filed the case in Washington, D.C., naming Attorney General Pam Bondi, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE acting director Todd Lyons, and border czar Tom Homan in their official capacities.
- The complaint alleges federal officials coerced Apple to take down ICEBlock in violation of protected speech and asks for a permanent injunction and a judicial declaration of a First Amendment breach.
- Apple previously approved the crowdsourced app, which the developer says surpassed one million downloads, before removing it with a notice citing law-enforcement reports about safety risks.
- House Homeland Security leaders have requested briefings from Apple and Google by December 12 on their handling of apps that track immigration officers, referencing ICEBlock in their letters.
- Aaron’s legal team signaled willingness to pursue the case to the Supreme Court if necessary, while Apple did not respond to questions and the Justice Department did not immediately comment.