| ICEBlock | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Joshua Aaron |
| Initial release | April 2025 |
| Platform | iOS |
| Available in | 14 languages |
List of languages | |
| Type | Online map |
| License | Proprietary software |
| Website | www |
ICEBlock is an online map service of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents developed by Joshua Aaron.
In April 2025, in response to Donald Trump's second term as president and his immigration policy, Joshua Aaron began developing ICEBlock. [1] The app garnered attention amid protests in Los Angeles in June; by that month, Aaron said that the app had twenty thousand users, primarily in Los Angeles. [1] After receiving media attention from Trump officials following a CNN report on the app, ICEBlock became the third-most downloaded free app in the App Store [2] and the most downloaded free social networking app. [3] Aaron told NBC News that ICEBlock had approximately 95,200 users by the beginning of July. [4]
Joshua Aaron's wife, Carolyn Feinstein, worked for the US Department of Justice (DoJ) in a division that handles bankruptcy, unrelated to immigration. She was dismissed, an act which Aaron said was retaliation against him; he himself could not be attacked, and had done nothing illegal. According to Aaron she had no involvement in the development or operation of the ICEBlock app. She was accused of lack of candor, but the app was not mentioned. But when journalists contacted the DoJ, it provided a prepared statement that she was endangering the lives of ICE agents and similar allegations not mentioned in her termination letter. [5]
The ICEBlock Web site warns about malicious, fake downloads and source code, and advises users always to download the latest version. Version 1.44 was current as of 13 August 2025 [update] . [6]
The app's listing was removed from the Apple App Store, possibly because of pressure from the DoJ at the direction of the United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi. [7]
ICEBlock allows users to report the location of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and provide optional details about the official, with a warning "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." [1] Reported sightings are visible within a five-mile radius but disappear after four hours. After a sighting is reported, those in a nearby radius are notified. [8] ICEBlock does not collect personal data; it is only available on iOS, as Aaron believes Android would require an app to collect push notification information that could put users at greater risk. [1] [9] The app is available in fourteen languages, including Arabic, Nepali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. [10] [8]
Slate praised ICEBlock as "a welcome indicator that grassroots momentum for immigration advocacy hasn’t let up." [8] Cooper Quintin, a security engineer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, analyzed the network traffic of ICEBlock and confirmed that individual reports are anonymous, and the app does not actively collect the geolocation or device information of its users. [11]
Aaron's claims that an Android version of the app would de-anonymize users to a greater extent than iOS have been disputed by the development team of GrapheneOS. [12] Both The Verge and cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier expressed doubts about some of the privacy claims made by the app. [13] [14] Micah Lee, a journalist involved in the handling of the Snowden leaks, noted multiple transparency issues with ICEBlock, including unfounded privacy claims, a refusal to make the app open source or allow third-party audits of the source code, and no method for handling false positives. [15]
In response to CNN's reporting on ICEBlock, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated that she was in communication with the Department of Justice to investigate the possibility of prosecuting CNN over its article. [16] Tom Homan, the executive associate director of enforcement and removal operations, and Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, broadly criticized CNN for reporting on the app. [17] [18] Attorney General Pam Bondi warned Aaron to "watch out", and alleged that it could cause federal agents to be injured, [19] although ICEBlock warns users against using the app for "inciting violence or interfering with law enforcement". [1] According to Aaron, ICEBlock's legality has been attested to by several lawyers. [8] Aaron's full legal name and home address were published by right-wing figures on X over the app. [18]
A similar app for both iOS and Google's Android platform, Red Dot, was removed from both app stores a few weeks. [20]
Both Google and Apple recently removed Red Dot, an app people can use to report sightings of ICE officials, from their respective app stores… Google told 404 Media it removed apps because they shared the location of what it describes as a vulnerable group that recently faced a violent act connected to these sorts of ICE-spotting apps—a veiled reference to ICE officials
 | This article needs additional or more specific categories .(July 2025) |