By Ebi Kesiena
Apple has withdrawn several applications that allowed users to anonymously share information about the movements of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, reportedly after pressure from the Trump administration.
The apps, which had grown in popularity amid President Donald Trump’s intensified deportation campaign, were removed from the App Store on Friday.
Trump officials had strongly condemned the platforms, claiming they endangered ICE personnel, particularly after a fatal shooting at an ICE facility in Texas last month. Authorities said the gunman had used one of the apps in the days leading up to the attack.
Two detainees were killed and another injured in the incident, although investigators believe the shooter had been targeting ICE agents.
The removals come as protests continue across the US, both at ICE detention centres and during enforcement operations, as Trump’s mass deportation drive has led to thousands of migrants being detained, often by masked officers.
ICE tracking apps such as the widely used ICEBlock could no longer be found on Apple’s App Store as of late Thursday, AFP reporters confirmed.
The development was first reported by Fox Business, which quoted Attorney General Pam Bondi as saying the Justice Department had “reached out to Apple today demanding they remove the ICEBlock app from their App Store, and Apple did so.”
Apple did not respond to request for comment. However, in a statement to NBC News the company said: “Based on information we’ve received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store.”
