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Federal Judge Blocks Government Pressure on Apple and Facebook to Pull ICE-Tracking Content

The ruling applies a 2024 Supreme Court precedent that curbs government coercion of private platforms.

Overview

  • The preliminary injunction, issued Friday, bars the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice from pushing Apple or Facebook to remove ICE-tracking content.
  • The order lets the plaintiffs work with the platforms to restore the Eyes Up app and the ICE Sightings – Chicagoland Facebook group.
  • Judge Jorge L. Alonso found the plaintiffs likely to win under the First Amendment, citing NRA v. Vullo and calling posts by Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem thinly veiled threats that demanded takedowns.
  • The projects were removed in October 2025 after outreach by federal officials, with Apple citing guideline 1.1.1 and saying it acted on information from law enforcement as apps like Eyes Up, ICEBlock, and Red Dot disappeared.
  • The case continues as a likely government appeal looms, signaling tighter scrutiny of how officials try to influence platform moderation of speech that tracks public ICE activity.