Karoline Leavitt slams CNN for ‘encouraging violence’ with ICE tracking app coverage: ‘It’s unacceptable'

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized CNN on Monday, June 30, accusing the network of inciting violence against federal law enforcement through its recent coverage of ICEBlock, a mobile app that allows users to track the alleged movements of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

Leavitt’s remarks came in response to a question from Daily Wire journalist Mary Margaret Olohan during a press briefing, in which she referenced a Department of Homeland Security report noting a 500% increase in assaults on ICE personnel.

Karoline Leavitt says app coverage could endanger law enforcement  

Although Karoline Leavitt acknowledged she had not yet seen the segment, she didn’t hold back in criticizing CNN’s decision to air it.

“Surely, it sounds like this would be an incitement of further violence against our ICE officers,” Leavitt 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 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, many of whom live in cities where illegal aliens are hiding after being let in by the previous administration, should be very grateful for. So, we haven’t seen the clip yet; we’ll take a look at it. But certainly, it’s unacceptable for a major network to promote an app that encourages violence against law enforcement officers who are trying to keep our country safe.”

CNN under fire for spotlighting app that helps users track ICE agents

A CNN spokesperson defended the network’s coverage, stating that the report focused on a publicly accessible app that has been gaining national attention. “CNN reported on a publicly available app that is generating attention across the United States, and reached out to ICE for comment prior to publication,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “After CNN published its reporting, ICE issued a response, which is now included in the story.”

The segment featured remarks from ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, who warned that the app, ICEBlock, “basically paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs,” and noted that assaults on officers and agents have already spiked by 500%.

The network also aired an interview with the app’s creator, Joshua Aaron, who said his motivation came from a desire to resist deportation practices he likened to those of Nazi Germany.

“We’re literally watching history repeat itself,” Aaron said. He acknowledged that while there’s no foolproof way to verify every user-submitted report, the app includes built-in safeguards to discourage misuse.

Sightings on the app are automatically erased after four hours, users can only submit a report once every five minutes, and alerts are restricted to a five-mile radius. Aaron also emphasized that all user identities remain anonymous.

Aaron described ICEBlock as an “early warning system” intended to help undocumented immigrants avoid ICE enforcement operations. A self-described “proud Antifa” member, Aaron said he created the app in direct response to what he views as oppressive immigration policies under both the Donald Trump and Joe Biden administrations.

“I talked with Joshua Aaron, who is the longtime tech worker who developed this platform and he said he really wants it to be an early warning system for people about the location of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. So, he says he does not want people interfering with those officers’ activities, but he does want people to be able to avoid them altogether if they want,” CNN Business journalist Clare Duffy explained during the segment.

Duffy also walked viewers through how the app works, highlighting key features: users can anonymously report ICE activity, receive alerts about nearby sightings within a five-mile radius, and download the platform for free.