First Amendment

Judge Says DOJ and DHS Likely Coerced Tech Firms To Censor ICE-Tracking Platforms

The platform creators filed a lawsuit claiming their First Amendment rights were violated after the Trump administration convinced Apple and Facebook to remove their content.

Autumn Billings | 4.20.2026 4:44 PM

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A federal judge held Friday that the Justice Department (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) likely violated the First Amendment when they coerced Apple and Facebook to take down and ban platforms used to share information on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

In a lawsuit filed against former Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in February, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) accused both officials of "repeatedly threaten[ing] to prosecute individuals and entities for disseminating information…about ICE operations" in violation of the right to freedom of expression. Although both women have since been ousted, the........

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