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A popular app that allowed users to anonymously report sightings of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that government officials unlawfully pressured Apple to remove the app.

Getting into it: The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, DC, claims that Attorney General Pam Bondi, along with other Trump administration officials, engaged in an unconstitutional campaign to silence the app’s developer, Joshua Aaron. The complaint accuses the administration of violating Aaron’s First Amendment rights by threatening criminal prosecution and using their positions of power to coerce Apple into removing ICEBlock from the App Store.

According to the lawsuit, ICEBlock was designed solely for informational purposes, allowing users to share anonymous, time-limited reports of ICE activity within a five-mile radius similar to how GPS apps like Waze alert drivers to police presence. The app did not include photos or videos, and each report would expire after four hours.

Despite this, the Trump administration labeled the app as a threat to public safety, claiming it endangered ICE agents by revealing their locations and could be used to incite violence. Government officials, including Bondi, publicly defended the app’s removal. Bondi told Fox News that Aaron was “giving a message to criminals where our federal officers are,” and warned that his actions were not protected speech.

Following these statements, Apple notified Aaron that it was removing ICEBlock due to information provided by law enforcement, which claimed the app violated Apple’s policies by targeting a specific group and therefore breached its developer guidelines.

As of now, Apple has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, and the Department of Justice has yet to respond to the legal filing or provide a formal statement regarding the case.