INDIANAPOLIS — Eyes Up and ICEBLOCK are two apps meant to document the actions of ICE officials all across the country, but they no longer exist.
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The creators of those apps are now taking the government to court, claiming that Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem coerced Apple and Facebook into removing online platforms that showcased the actions of ICE officers, and alleging that the action violated their First Amendment free speech rights.
“We are sticking up for not just what we want to say, but what they [anyone] want to say eventually," Mark Hodges said.
Hodges created the Eyes Up website and app.
“The inspiration came from, I was scrolling through social media and seeing what people have been posting about, just, how our federal immigration officers were treating people, how ICE was handling situations on the street, and it was pretty aggressive," he explained.
The goal was to have a place to preserve these kinds of videos and alert people to sightings.
“They always say the internet is forever, but, in fact, things can disappear quite quickly," Hodges said.
The app had almost 1,000 videos posted. Then, it was removed from the app store following pushback from Trump Administration officials.
“It’s disturbing, to say the least, that they’ve gone after people in this way," Hodges said. "I didn’t anticipate being one of those.”
“The issue is no matter what you believe, you have the right to say it," Colin McDonell, Senior Attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, shared.
This new lawsuit, filed by FIRE, is pushing back against government officials, citing First Amendment Free Speech rights.
“When the government tries to tell us what we can say or see or read about the government, no matter how you feel about this administration or these issues, we should all be alarmed," McDonell said.
The lawsuit claims Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem threatened the companies unless they “remove disfavored ICE-related” platforms on their sites.
“We have the right to share information about our government… that includes recording videos of law enforcement carrying out their duties in public and sharing that," McDonell said. "That is core protected speech.”
“While you’re free as an individual to say, 'I don’t like what the Department of Homeland Security is doing, I disagree with what ICE is participating or leading,' you can’t say that you want to inflict harm on others or reasonably being considered that your speech would incite somebody else to do that," Laura Wilson, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Indianapolis, explained.
We reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice for their response on the lawsuits. They sent us back a statement that said:
We reached out to Apple today demanding they remove the ICEBlock app from their App Store — and Apple did so. ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed. This Department of Justice will continue making every effort to protect our brave federal law enforcement officers, who risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe.
As the lawsuit moves to court, the outcome is pressing on all of their minds.
“I think this would absolutely set the precedent that would really change, that would impact people's behavior," Wilson stated. "And whether or not we see more videos like this in the future, or if we have a more restricted, regulated perspective.”
“That right is fundamental to our system of government, and that's what we’re fighting to protect," McDonell exclaimed."
“Do we want the government having a say in what we can and cannot say?" Hodges asked.
The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Illinois last week. There is no timeline yet on when a decision will be made.
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Casey Zanowic is the In Your Community reporter for North Side Indy. She joined WRTV in July of 2025. Casey has a passion for storytelling and is ready to showcase impactful stories that make a difference in her community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Casey by emailing her at casey.zanowic@wrtv.com.
