White House Accuses CNN of Inciting Violence with ICE Tracking App Coverage Amid 500% Assault Rise

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply condemned CNN for its coverage of ICEBlock, a mobile app that allows users to track Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, calling it an incitement to violence amid a 500% increase in assaults on ICE personnel. Leavitt criticized CNN for promoting what she described as a tool that endangers federal law enforcement officers simply doing their jobs to protect public safety, despite not having seen the segment herself. CNN defended its reporting by stating it covered a publicly available app and included ICE's response, which highlighted concerns that the app effectively targets federal officers. ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons described the app as painting a target on law enforcement officers' backs and questioned whether CNN's coverage was reckless journalism or activism. The controversy has sparked debate over the legality and ethics of reporting on such apps, with some viewing CNN's coverage as fueling hostility toward ICE agents. Leavitt emphasized the need for gratitude toward law enforcement and condemned any media actions that might encourage violence against them.