U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has experienced increasing disruption due to activities supporting illegal immigrants. On Monday, CNN intensified this disruption by reporting on a new smartphone application designed to help undocumented immigrants evade ICE agents. Trump advisor Stephen Miller condemned the coverage, suggesting CNN might be violating the law by aiding illegal immigration.
The app, developed by Joshua Aaron, acts as an “early warning system,” enabling users to anonymously report sightings of ICE agents within a 5-mile radius. This allows others to receive alerts and avoid those areas. While similar reporting apps exist, this one specifically targets ICE presence. Aaron stands out in the tech community for his opposition to ICE enforcement, contrasting with many prominent figures who maintain favorable relations with the administration.
CNN correspondent Clare Duffy clarified that the app’s purpose is not to obstruct ICE but to provide information allowing people to evade detection if they wish. Despite this, Miller accused CNN on social media of actively helping “invaders and insurrectionists” undermine ICE operations.
Though CNN’s new CEO Mark Thompson has tried to moderate the network’s previous antagonistic stance toward Trump, recent reports have reignited tensions. Coverage criticizing the administration’s military actions and immigration policies has continued, prompting sharp responses from the White House.
Illegal immigration is a particularly contentious subject between Trump’s administration and media outlets like CNN. The network frequently provides sympathetic portrayals of individuals arrested by ICE, such as Kilmar Abrego Garcia, currently facing a human trafficking trial.
Miller has stressed that mass deportation goals require targeting not only criminals but also those with no violent history aside from unlawful entry. He has reportedly set a daily ICE arrest quota of 3,000, threatening job losses for agents who fail to meet it.
This hardline approach underlines the administration’s commitment to aggressive immigration enforcement, even amid media criticism and public controversy.
