White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized CNN on Monday for allegedly “encouraging violence” through its reporting on ICEBlock — a controversial new app designed to track and alert users about the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in real time.
The comments came after Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan asked Leavitt to address a recent CNN segment on the app, especially in light of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data showing a staggering 500% rise in assaults on ICE agents. Leavitt said she hadn’t yet seen the full segment but made her position clear.
“Surely, it sounds like this would be an incitement of further violence against our ICE officers,” Leavitt stated. “As you noted, we’re seeing a surge in attacks on law enforcement — brave men and women who are simply doing their jobs, removing threats from our communities.”
Leavitt went on to suggest that media outlets like CNN should show more responsibility when reporting on tools that, in her view, could undermine law enforcement and public safety.
“This is something we, as Americans — including the journalists who live in these cities where criminal illegal aliens hide — should be concerned about. We should be grateful for the officers keeping us safe,” she said. “If CNN is promoting an app that facilitates hostility toward law enforcement, that’s not just irresponsible — it’s unacceptable.”
In response, CNN defended its reporting, saying it had simply covered a publicly available app that is gaining attention nationwide.
“CNN reported on a publicly available app, which is generating attention across the United States, and reached out to ICE for comment prior to publication,” a network spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “After CNN published its reporting, ICE posted a response, which is now included in the story.”
The ICE response came from Acting Director Todd Lyons, who condemned the app’s implications. “ICEBlock basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs,” he said. “Our officers are already facing a 500% increase in assaults.”
CNN’s segment included an interview with the app’s creator, Joshua Aaron, who described ICEBlock as a digital tool to resist what he called unjust deportation efforts. Drawing a provocative historical comparison, Aaron claimed the current immigration enforcement climate is reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
“We’re literally watching history repeat itself,” Aaron told CNN.
Though Aaron insisted that his intent is not to promote violence, critics remain skeptical. The app allows users to anonymously report ICE sightings within a five-mile radius, limits reports to one every five minutes, and automatically deletes all sightings after four hours. According to Aaron, these safeguards are designed to prevent spam and abuse.
Additionally, ICEBlock includes a built-in warning urging users not to interfere with officers or incite violence.
“The use of this app is for information and notification purposes only,” the disclaimer reads. “It is not to be used for the purposes of inciting violence or interfering with law enforcement.”
Still, critics — including ICE officials and members of the White House — warn that the app’s very existence could embolden anti-law enforcement sentiment at a time when assaults against officers are already surging.
The controversy underscores the widening rift between tech activism, immigration policy, and public safety — and raises new questions about the role media outlets play in spotlighting tools that walk a fine line between resistance and risk.
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