A federal judge in Illinois has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration from pressuring tech platforms to remove apps and groups tracking Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. The ruling favors creators Kassandra Rosado and Kreisau Group, who claim their First Amendment rights were violated. Judge Jorge L. Alonso found they are likely to succeed on their claims.
Judge Jorge L. Alonso of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted the preliminary injunction on Friday. The order stops the government from coercing Facebook and Apple into taking down the ICE Sightings - Chicagoland Facebook group and the Eyes Up app. Alonso determined that plaintiffs Kassandra Rosado and Kreisau Group are likely to prevail in alleging First Amendment violations through government suppression of protected speech. He described social media posts by former US Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem as 'thinly veiled threats.' These posts demanded and claimed credit for the removals. The projects use publicly available information to monitor ICE operations. Similar efforts, including ICEBlock and Red Dot, were also removed from Apple's App Store and Google Play following pressure from Trump officials. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), representing the plaintiffs, welcomed the decision. In a post on X, FIRE stated it is 'extremely encouraged by this ruling.' The group added, 'Even though it’s not the end of the case, it bodes well for the future of our legal fight to ensure that the First Amendment protects the right to discuss, record, and criticize what law enforcement does in public.'
