Free speech nonprofit says US to end efforts to curb Facebook group and app reporting ICE activity

Free speech organization FIRE announced on Friday that the United States government has agreed to cease its efforts to compel Apple and Facebook to restrict the platforms created by two Americans who have been reporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. In February, FIRE filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice and Homeland Security, claiming that Facebook's removal of plaintiff Kae Rosado's group, ICE Sightings – Chicagoland, and Apple's deletion of the Eyes Up app, which was developed by plaintiff Mark Hodges to share videos of ICE operations, violated their free speech rights.

The lawsuit named the DOJ and DHS as defendants, but they have not yet commented on the matter. However, as part of a settlement with FIRE, the government has agreed to uphold a preliminary injunction previously granted in favor of the plaintiffs. A ruling by US District Judge Jorge Alonso stated that the federal government shall refrain from taking any formal or informal actions to pressure Facebook and Apple to suppress the ICE Sightings – Chicagoland Facebook group and the Eyes Up app.

The ICE agency, which falls under DHS, has been a symbol of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement and deportation initiatives. Civil liberties groups argue that these crackdowns have infringed upon free speech and due process rights, particularly for ethnic minorities who have voiced concerns about racial profiling. Trump claims his actions are intended to enhance domestic security, while Democrats, who gained control of both chambers of Congress during the recent US midterm elections, assert their aim is to hold the Trump administration accountable for its immigration policies.