White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized CNN on Monday for promoting what she called “an incitement of further violence” against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers by airing a segment on ICEBlock, a mobile app designed to crowdsource and share real-time locations of federal agents.
Speaking during a press briefing, Leavitt responded to a question from reporter Mary Margaret Olohan, who cited Department of Homeland Security data showing a 500% increase in assaults on ICE agents. Leavitt said she had not seen the segment herself but condemned CNN’s decision to give airtime to the app.
“Surely, it sounds like this would be an incitement of further violence against our ICE officers,” she said. “As you know, as you stated, there’s been a 500% increase in violence against ICE agents, law enforcement officers across the country who are just simply trying to do their jobs and remove public safety threats from our communities.”
She continued, “And that’s something we as Americans, including journalists at CNN, who live in many of these cities where illegal aliens are hiding and were let in from the previous administration, should be very grateful for. So we haven’t seen the clip. We’ll take a look at it, but certainly it’s unacceptable that a major network would promote such an app that is encouraging violence against law enforcement officers who are trying to keep our country safe.”
ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons issued a statement to the network in response to the story. “CNN’s promotion of an ‘ICE spotting’ app is reckless and irresponsible,” Lyons said. “Advertising an app that basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs is sickening. My officers and agents are already facing a 500% increase in assaults, and going on live television to announce an app that lets anyone zero in on their locations is like inviting violence against them with a national megaphone.”
He added, “CNN is willfully endangering the lives of officers who put their lives on the line every day and enabling dangerous criminal aliens to evade U.S. law. Is this simply reckless ‘journalism’ or overt activism?”
The app’s creator, Joshua Aaron, appeared on CNN to promote ICEBlock, where he said he developed the tool to push back against what he described as “Nazi Germany” style deportation practices. “We’re literally watching history repeat itself,” Aaron said during the segment.
Aaron acknowledged that there is no method to verify user reports but said the app incorporates several safeguards.
