ICECondemns ICEBlock App Tracking Agents in Real Time

The ICEBlock app, launched in April 2025, allows users to anonymously track and report the locations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in real time, aiming to help immigrant communities avoid encounters with law enforcement amid President Donald Trump's tightened immigration policies. Modeled after the navigation app Waze, ICEBlock enables users to mark ICE agent locations on a map, add descriptions, and send alerts within a five-mile radius, while ensuring user anonymity by not collecting personal data and deleting reports after four hours. The app has quickly gained over 20,000 users, particularly in cities with significant immigration enforcement like Los Angeles, where mass protests against immigration crackdowns have occurred. ICE officials and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have condemned the app, calling it obstruction of justice and a danger to ICE officers who have seen a 500% increase in assaults, warning of potential prosecutions. Developer Joshua Aaron defends ICEBlock as a digital resistance tool designed to inform and protect communities without promoting violence or interference with law enforcement. The app has sparked political and legal debate about balancing community safety and the legality of such digital innovations amid heightened tensions over immigration enforcement.