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Apple said on Thursday that it had removed ICEBlock and other similar ICE-tracking apps from its App Store after it was contacted by President Donald Trump's administration, in a rare instance of apps being taken down due to a U.S. federal government demand.
Alphabet's Google also removed similar apps on Thursday for policy violations, but the company said it was not approached by the Justice Department before taking the action.
The app alerts users to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their area, which the Justice Department says could increase the risk of assault on U.S. agents.
[...] Apple removed more than 1,700 apps from its App Store in 2024 in response to government demands, but the vast majority — more than 1,300 — came from China, followed by Russia with 171 and South Korea with 79.
(Score: -1, Insightful) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @02:32PM (64 children)
Why can't immigrants just follow the process? That's why we're at this point - the immigration process has been so badly abused for decades that we've got an overreaction. Now lefties want to normalize crime, but only as long as it benefits non-citizens. If you didn't want more Trump, why did you let illegal immigration go unchecked?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by epitaxial on Wednesday October 08, @02:45PM (9 children)
I nominate the president to lead by example and follow the process. If the president was actually following the law we wouldn't see hundreds of court cases. https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/ [justsecurity.org]
The people in the country illegally are a low priority. Over 70% have no criminal records https://tracreports.org/immigration/quickfacts/ [tracreports.org]
People are being arrested at their places of work so they are part of the local economy and paying taxes. If the administration really wanted to crack down they would jail the owner of the meat packing plants who employ hundreds. Nothing happens to the guy who signs the pay checks. After the feds leave he hires more and it's business as usual.
What is Trump doing in regards to:
1) Grocery prices? He said he would lower them on day one
2) Ukraine war? He said that would be over quickly. He also talked about adding more sanctions to Russia but pussied out
3) Inflation? Its up
4) Value of the USD? It's down
5) Federal deficit https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/federal-budget-deficit-grows-92b-nearly-2-trillion-even-trump-tariffs-increase-revenue [foxbusiness.com]
6) The bullshit tariffs. I work for a small electronics manufacturing company and we pay thousands more every month for components. We pass that directly to the customer. Hell it affects me on a hobbyist level
7) Better access to healthcare
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @02:51PM (4 children)
90% of your post is offtopic.
Answer the question: why can't immigrants just follow the process?
I've had too many friends and family members go through the process *legally* to put up with criminals. Again, why can't they just follow the process?
(Score: 1, Troll) by epitaxial on Wednesday October 08, @03:13PM
This is the hill you’re willing to die on?
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 08, @03:35PM
you are a fucking idiot.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 08, @03:35PM
were they all white?
(Score: 5, Informative) by Whoever on Wednesday October 08, @05:32PM
Most have been, but it hasn't stopped them from being locked up. Why do you think that many arrests happen at courthouses: It's ICE it targeting immigrants who are following the process.
The problem is that ICE and this administration has not been following the process.
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Friday October 10, @12:10AM (3 children)
They have no criminal records because they haven't been caught and prosecuted, but 100% of them have committed immigration related crimes. That being said, the higher priority ought to be fixing the immigration process and coming down on the companies that are hiring them once the relevant area of immigration has been addressed.
(Score: 3, Touché) by number11 on Friday October 10, @12:45AM (2 children)
If we're going to do that, shouldn't we start with the ones at the top? Melania and Elon Musk both almost certainly violated visa terms by working in the US before they became citizens. Shouldn't we revoke their citizenship and deport them?
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Friday October 10, @12:56AM (1 child)
Yes, definitely. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in favor of most of these people being deported, however having lived somewhere under a visa, I'm very much aware of just how precarious it is, even if you're doing things largely by the book.
There's a bunch of jobs that legitimately can't/won't be done by citizens and people with green cards and we need to fix the visa program for things like farmworkers so that people can legally come and do their work without fear of being deported or taken advantage of. Others like the H-1B visaholders mostly shouldn't be allowed to come under that program until the companies abusing the program are properly monitored and punished for violations.
What I'd personally like to see is the visa programs fixed, but the visas just going to people that are applying either from outside the country or who have some legal basis for being in the country, either a current visa or other program to cover the situation and everybody else has to apply from outside the country. Then come down hard on companies that are trying to hire workers that are supposed to be coming under one of the existing programs.
I think it's probably the most practical and fairminded way of doing it which protects the various parties involved. It's not going to happen any time soon because neither party wants to actually fix the problem.
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Friday October 10, @06:35PM
There's a bunch of jobs that legitimately can't/won't be done by citizens and people with green cards and we need to fix the visa program for things like farmworkers so that people can legally come and do their work without fear of being deported
Or we could raise the minimum wage to a living wage like it was fifty years ago. Americans don't mind hard work, but we're not letting some billionaire steal our labor by paying federal minimum wage or less. Or are you one of those who think that "we" are better than "them"?
Mad at your neighbors? Join ICE, $50,000 signing bonus and a LICENSE TO MURDER!
(Score: 5, Informative) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @03:35PM (37 children)
For one thing ICE has been yanking people at the courthouse while they're following said process because, instead of prioritizing criminals and violent offenders, they're going with a quota system. A better question is: Where's the evidence that this extremist openly-hostile bullshit was actually called for?
One of the biggest complaints about ICE is their lack of due process. This is something you should be on the side of correcting but I doubt your news sources have even told you about.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 1, Troll) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @03:51PM (36 children)
Decades of one side ignoring due process has resulted in a few months of the other side ignoring due process! Golly, who could have seen that coming? If they wanted due process, they shouldn't have tried to get around due process in the first place.
By the way, it's extremely easy to prove you're a US citizen or going through the legal process, so any argument to the contrary is sophistry. And any criminal who wants due process is free to pursue it from wherever they get deported to. Win for everyone!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @04:02PM (25 children)
No, they get due process.
It isn't when you use a quota system.
This question remains unanswered.
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(Score: 1, Interesting) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @04:13PM (24 children)
Already addressed. They can pursue from $outercrookistan.
It really really is and stop pretending it isn't. This is a terrible argument and you should stop using it. It's super extremely trivially easy to prove you're either a citizen or a legal migrant. Seriously, stop arguing otherwise - you don't know what you're talking about.
I VOTED FOR IT!
(Score: 4, Insightful) by epitaxial on Wednesday October 08, @04:15PM (2 children)
What aspect of your life has improved due to this crackdown?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @04:31PM (1 child)
This is a legitimate question, not a 'troll'.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 08, @08:15PM
The silence speaks for itself.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @04:23PM (19 children)
Heh! No, it's not. The reason for the due process is you don't know who they are until you have them in custody. ICE has detained a zillion innocent people because they AREN'T following due process.
I can't, reality [bbc.com] is not supporting your hallucination.
We know you voted for violent xenophobia, what you didn't do was provide the requested proof it was necessary. Heh. I think it's safe to assume you don't actually have it and that you really voted to have fewer brown people on the streets.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 2, Interesting) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @04:41PM (18 children)
It's not a zillion, and detainment is actually part of the due process! It's pretty normal in the USA to be detained while authorities figure out if you should be charged.
So, after being detained and having their immigration status clarified, they were freed, right?
I've made my position clear: I want criminals prosecuted. I want immigrants to follow the process. My own family and friends went through the process, and it pisses us right the fuck off when people skip the line. You wouldn't tolerate anyone cutting in front of you or your family in line at the store, would you?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by epitaxial on Wednesday October 08, @04:54PM (1 child)
If you want criminals prosecuted then why is ICE missing 70% of them?
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @05:09PM
A troll mod is not a rebuttal. Again, this is a valid question.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @05:01PM (14 children)
Not when it's racial profiling..... guess what a quota system delivers. ;)
They were unnecessarily arrested at gunpoint and detained for seven days under horrid conditions that were purposefully obscured from oversight. Why are you trying to skip over that part, mmm?
You were not asked for your position, you were asked for evidence of it being needed and you still have not done that. Remember when you lot were all about small gov't, fiscal responsibility, and freedom? Have you looked into what ICE's budget is right now? How about the National Guard's? Do you and your friends/family feel safe and secure walking the streets with ICE around?
How would they react to being detained for seven days after 'papers please'? Excited about the tax-payer funded vacation from your home and job?
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 2, Interesting) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @05:16PM (13 children)
And why don't you answer the question: why can't they just follow the process? Don't use the argument "zOMG ICE are yanking them right out of the courtroom!" because that hasn't been going on for decades, has it? Do you think the process is too hard? Do you think it shouldn't be followed? Instead of advocating for crime, why don't you work to change the system? Do you believe that every person everywhere, regardless of national origin, current location or citizenship status has a guaranteed right to automatic US citizenship?
You can make an argument that the system is currently broken for both legal and illegal immigrants, sure. But it's broken because of decades of abuse, and it hurts to rip off the bandaid. But you know what? In the end, it will get better because finally the world will start to respect the US immigration process, instead of ignoring it. Don't you think that's a good result?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @05:31PM (10 children)
Because ICE ain't going after people who aren't following the process. Heh. They're going after the color of their skin and trying to make their quota. You haven't justified that at all, just that you're all for it.
No, because that's not what you're gonna get. What sunk your boat here is they went after people at courthouses who were legitimately following the process. If you're going to make doing it the 'right' way impossible what you'll actually get with 'respecting the US immigration process' is fewer brown people on the street, legally documented or otherwise. I know that's the result YOU want, but it's not a good one.
Just a reminder that you've dodged mine several times. Now you got me wondering if you and your immigrant friends and family were running errands and saw ICE nearby, what would their reaction be? Would they walk up and shake their hands? Buy them a beer?
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 2) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @05:50PM (9 children)
So, just out of curiosity, did you assume my family is European? Or white? Because we are neither. In fact, we're probably a lot browner than you.
And once again: why can't they follow the process? If ICE "ain't going after people who aren't following the process" then why not just follow the process? First, your argument is that people were being indiscriminately yanked out of courtrooms regardless of their legal status, now you're saying that those who are following the process are safe. Which is it? You don't have a coherent argument here, you're just spouting leftist reactionary pablum. Get a hold of yourself.
The reality is that yeah the system is busted, but it's busted because it's been abused for too long, and your personal policy is that we continue to abuse it. Stop it.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @06:01PM (7 children)
No, I was asking a question. And you still haven't answered it. What happens when you see ICE walking down the street?
I did not say they are safe, I said they are NOT safe.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 2) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @06:19PM (6 children)
And you haven't answered the question either: why not follow the process? "ICE WILL GET YOU ANYWAY ZOMG!" isn't a good argument.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @06:26PM (5 children)
Heh. Yes, it is. Fairness of the process is always going to be a strong factor in this debate. You still haven't established any reasoning (outside of your feelz) why this level of extreme is needed. Should you be deported to El Salvador next time you get a moving violation? Would you hold hands with the ICE agents who arrested you?
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 2) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @06:33PM (4 children)
No. There's literally no downside to going through the process, except that you don't get to cut the line. At this point, you really are just trolling. You know you're wrong, but you won't admit it.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @06:40PM (3 children)
So you'd happily spend seven days in an ICE detention center after being arrested at gun-point?
You've dodged several of my questions that could have shut me up and put me in my place. Nice try, though.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 0, Troll) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @06:51PM (2 children)
If your only argument against going through the process is "OMG ICE GONNA PUT YOU IN A DUNGEON ANYWAY!" then you're not arguing in good faith. Goodbye.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @06:59PM
When are YOU going to argue in good faith?
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Wednesday October 08, @07:15PM
You talk about good faith, but post lies to justify your claims?
Look in the mirror, buddy!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by epitaxial on Wednesday October 08, @06:45PM
That's your first mistake. You think you're one of the good ones.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday October 08, @10:27PM
The purpose doesn't excuse the means. See also the fruit of the poisonous tree and all that.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2, Disagree) by khallow on Thursday October 09, @12:57AM
When will the US respect the US immigration process? That's the fundamental cause here. It's a shitty, lengthy, and arbitrary process. No surprise that so many people just bypass it altogether.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Thexalon on Thursday October 09, @03:01AM
I think you are intentionally confusing 2 things:
"Detained" in criminal law means "you aren't allowed to leave where you are for a short period of time, usually under 15 minutes but typically no more than about an hour, and to do that legally the cops must have a reasonable suspicion that you committed some kind of crime. To lock you up for a while, the government is required to have probable cause to believe you committed a crime more serious than a simple traffic violation or something like that.
"Detained" in immigration law means "you are locked up in conditions that Amnesty International considers probable torture, where people have been known to have died in captivity, and then have to prove to the satisfaction of the officers and/or immigration judges, without an attorney if you can't afford to pay for one, that your lock-up was not justified because you are in fact a citizen or otherwise here legally. Oh, and your kids have to do this too, even if they're 2 years old."
ICE is currently doing the second thing to US citizens. And there's absolutely nothing stopping them from doing it to you, and you seem to be fine with that.
Out of curiosity, when was that, and where were you coming from? Because the process has changed a huge amount over the years: When my first ancestors arrived in the early 1600's, they just showed up and declared that a bit of land on the coast was their colony with no legal process whatsoever. When my most recent immigrant ancestors arrived in the early 1900's, they went through Ellis Island, and "the process" typically took no more than a day to go from "people on a boat" to "US citizens". Whereas nowadays there are immigrants I know who have been legal residents and productive members of society many years and still aren't able to be naturalized yet.
"Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Friday October 10, @06:52PM
Without going home and digging up my 73 year old birth certificate, how the FUCK am I supposed to prove I'm a citizen to ICE? The only ID I carry is my driver's license and I didn't have to prove citizenship to get it, just my identity and address, two pieces of US mail is sufficient.
But I pray those bastards will think I'm not a citizen. I learned Spanish in school (it was useful in California and Florida), I think I'll start screaming "Chinga tu madre" at an ICE rally. I'll find out what it's like to be filthy rich after the lawsuits; my uncle Bob was a member of the Sons of the Revolution. Our family has been here since the 15th century.
Mad at your neighbors? Join ICE, $50,000 signing bonus and a LICENSE TO MURDER!
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Whoever on Wednesday October 08, @05:35PM (4 children)
You are stopped by ICE on the street and not allowed to contact anyone. How do you prove you are a citizen? Don't say that you have a driver license because:
1. Driver licenses are not proof of citizenship and
2. ICE has been discarding such documents, claiming (without proof) that they are forgeries.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @05:46PM
Also... how do you prove that's an actual ICE officer and not a cosplaying criminal?
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 3, Funny) by mrpg on Wednesday October 08, @10:55PM
Proctor: All right, here's your last question. What was the cause of
the Civil War?
Apu: Actually, there were numerous causes. Aside from the obvious
schism between the abolitionists and the anti-abolitionists,
there were economic factors, both domestic and inter--
Proctor: Wait, wait... just say slavery.
Apu: Slavery it is, sir.
-- "Much Apu About Nothing"
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Friday October 10, @12:12AM (1 child)
Real IDs require proving citizenship, not that that really matters, ICE has already deported actual citizens and people with court orders saying that they can't be deported and there's going to be a massive mess to clean up when Trump has his coronary and the courts have to work through the backlog of people that stopped attending hearings because ICE was using them as an opportunity to arrest people that have been in compliance with relevant laws.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Friday October 10, @03:05PM
Not true. They require proof of legal presence.
Here are the instructions for how a non-citizen can get a Real-ID from a state that is more anti-immigrant than most: Florida:
https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/what-to-bring/non-immigrant/ [flhsmv.gov]
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Wednesday October 08, @08:49PM (3 children)
So ICE isn't following process? Let's restore rule of law then. For all the talk in this thread, only ICE is explicitly restricted by the US Constitution.
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Friday October 10, @12:39AM (2 children)
Except they're not even operating within the constraints of the constitution because SCOTUS is packed with ideologues that ignore the constitution whenever it's convenience, much of the time they don't even bother to explain their reasoning.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday October 10, @12:52AM (1 child)
<stage whisper>I think they call them... liberal judges</stage whisper> I don't take the ideological concerns serious here - I have a great deal of trust in all the justices. But your post just reminded me of a clueless blog from the other side complaining about a "liberal judge" who blocked a Trump overreach. There's always excuses.
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Friday October 10, @01:05AM
No, and that's dumb even by your standards. The right-leaning judges often times don't even bother to explain why they ruled the way that they did and have done a ton of heavy lifting to ensure that Trump and his associates are allowed to continue doing what they've been doing. Yes, the liberal judges do make mistakes, but at least the rulings they make have some basis in case law and the constitution.
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Friday October 10, @06:41PM
Decades of one side ignoring due process
Typical gullible Banana Republican bullshit. Not even a single example, let alone a link. Pathetic. I can't think of a single example by ANY administration before this one, regardless of party. But we've never had a convicted felon as president.
When was and whose due process was ignored before January 20?
Mad at your neighbors? Join ICE, $50,000 signing bonus and a LICENSE TO MURDER!
(Score: 2) by Username on Wednesday October 08, @05:18PM (14 children)
>Why can't immigrants just follow the process?
Most do, but there are a lot that won't pass a background check, and just want to continue their criminal careers in the US.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Wednesday October 08, @05:39PM (12 children)
Let's have some facts, shall we: the rate of people committing crimes is lower amongst immigrants than native-born Americans. It's also lower amongst illegal immigrants than native born Americans.
(Score: 0, Troll) by HeadlineEditor on Wednesday October 08, @05:54PM (10 children)
By definition, 100% of illegal immigrants are criminals.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @06:10PM
Oh noes, they owe a fine! Launch the choppers!
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 5, Informative) by Whoever on Wednesday October 08, @06:39PM (7 children)
Another falsehood. Being in the US without documentation is generally a civil violation. Not criminal. Most undocumented immigrants have not committed a criminal offense.
Really, you would have a better chance of convincing people if you didn't have to rely on lies.
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Friday October 10, @12:41AM
That's a word game. It means that rather than going to jail or prison they get deported and possibly fined. They've broken laws either way and it's high time that the system was fixed and we started going after the employers that ignore the laws.
The whole business of it being a civil violation rather than a criminal one implies that there isn't a lot of crime and abuse that accompanies it. It's a bit of a moot point right now because they've deported literal citizens.
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Friday October 10, @01:09AM (5 children)
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1325 [cornell.edu]
Sounds criminal to me when they're talking about jail time. Not that I'm any sort of an expert, but that appears to suggest that it's only not criminal if they catch you in the act, not if they find you later having violated the law by crossing improperly.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Friday October 10, @03:08PM (4 children)
That law addresses illegal border crossings. Many undocumented immigrants entered the country legally.
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Friday October 10, @03:33PM (3 children)
Yes, but the whole argument people make about it not being criminal isn't really correct, it is criminal except in some cases like getting caught in the process. So is obtaining visas using fraud and re-entering after having been banned.
So, I am wrong, it's not 100%, it's just an large portion have created crimes with the remainder just being civilly liable for being in the country illegally. But, really, the whole business of people being in the country not doing anything wrong is an unhelpful lie and allowing them to remain here and for companies to exploit them without addressing the issues that caused it in the future is just kicking the can down the road. It does nothing to help either the companies that need the work or the people doing it.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Friday October 10, @03:48PM (2 children)
You are trying to drag this whole thread away from the original statement I made: immigrants (including illegal immigrants) are less likely to commit crimes. That's true in the US and it is true in other countries, if you exclude the crime of entering the country illegally.
So, touting illegal immigrants as criminals is just racist polemics, designed to inflame the anger of racists and xenophobes in society.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 11, @08:22AM (1 child)
I, too, selectively ignore facts when they contradict my agenda.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 11, @09:24PM
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Wednesday October 08, @06:41PM
You still haven't explained how you can prove you are a citizen if ICE picks you up off the street.
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Friday October 10, @06:55PM
Facts? The "conservative" Banana Republicans have heard of them...
Mad at your neighbors? Join ICE, $50,000 signing bonus and a LICENSE TO MURDER!
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday October 08, @05:48PM
What do you think ICE's max budget should be?
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈 - Give us ribbiti or make us croak! 🐸
(Score: 3, Insightful) by number11 on Wednesday October 08, @07:15PM
You're right. We need to go back and examine the paperwork from Melania and Elon Musk, because there's indication that both of them worked in the US without proper visas before seeking citizenship. Once we've dealt with the Slovenian "models" and South African Nazis, we can work our way through the illegal Irish and Canadians, and down to the Latino construction laborers and car-wash attendants.