Trump Administration Pressures Apple to Remove App Tracking Immigration Enforcement Officers

　　Apple Inc. said on the 2nd that an application called ICEBlock, which could track the movements of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, and similar software have been removed from the Apple App Store.

　　According to a Reuters report, Apple said in a statement sent via email that based on information provided by law enforcement, ICEBlock was associated with "security threats," leading to the decision to remove the app and similar software.

　　Earlier that day, Fox Business News cited a statement from Attorney General Pam Bondy reporting that this software placed ICE officers performing their official duties "in danger," stating that "violence targeting law enforcement operations is an intolerable, uncrossable red line." The Department of Justice demanded Apple remove the software, and the latter complied with the order.

　　Bondy and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Kristi Noem had also warned the developer of ICEBlock that he was "not protected (by the U.S. Constitution)" and could be prosecuted.

　　After returning to the White House, U.S. President Trump implemented a hardline immigration policy. Large-scale raids by ICE officers targeting undocumented immigrants, often involving the use of force, have sparked panic. ICEBlock could alert users to the presence of ICE officers in their area.

　　The enforcement raids have also fostered hostility, leading to conflicts and personal threats. An ICE facility in Dallas, Texas, was shot at on September 24. Trump administration officials stated that the shooter used software to track the agency's personnel, and the shell casings found at the scene bore inscriptions opposing the agency. The shooting resulted in the deaths of two detained immigrants and left one critically injured.