On Monday, White House press director Karoline Leavitt suggested that CNN was promoting violence through its coverage of IceBlock, a new app designed to alert users about the locations of immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) officers.
This assertion came after a report indicated a staggering 500% rise in attacks on ICE agents, a topic Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan brought up during a press briefing. Leavitt expressed a need to see the segment personally but nonetheless criticized CNN for its portrayal of the situation.
“It does seem to incite further violence against our ICE officers,” Leavitt remarked. “As you noted, the violence targeting these agents is significant. Law enforcement is simply trying to keep our communities safe.”
The White House also labeled CNN as “fake news,” particularly in connection with various reports concerning Democratic leadership’s lack of awareness regarding Iran’s actions.
Leavitt continued her remarks by saying, “We’re all Americans here, including the journalists at CNN, and many of us live in cities where undocumented immigrants were concealed during the previous administration. It’s a situation we’re still navigating.”
A CNN representative defended the network’s reporting, asserting that their coverage of the app was based on publicly available information, and they did reach out to ICE for comment prior to publication. After the report aired, ICE provided a response which became part of the news piece.
ICE Director Todd Lyons criticized the app, stating that it effectively places a “target on the back” of federal law enforcement officers.
Additionally, during a segment that included an interview with the app’s creator, Joshua Aaron, he explained that his motivation stemmed from a desire to counteract deportation tactics reminiscent of those used in Nazi Germany. “We’re literally watching history repeat itself,” he remarked.
Aaron acknowledged the difficulty in validating all reports generated by the app but stated that measures have been put in place to ensure users cannot spam the system. Sightings are removed every four hours, reports are limited to a 5-mile radius, and updates can only be submitted every five minutes. Notably, users remain anonymous.
He emphasized that the app is not intended to instigate violence, adding that a warning specifies it is solely for informational purposes, making it clear that it does not engage with law enforcement.
