Trump and DHS Secretary Noem consider prosecuting CNN, alleging their reporting encourages evasion of ICE and spreads false Iran strike claims.

White House and DHS Target News Coverage of ICE App and Iran Strike

President Donald Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that the administration is reviewing possible legal action against CNN, following the network’s reporting on an iPhone app designed to alert users to nearby sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Noem made the comments during a visit to the newly opened “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility in the Florida Everglades. “We’re working with the Department of Justice to see if we can prosecute them for that,” Noem said, referring to CNN’s coverage. She argued that the news outlet is “actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement activities, operations,” and indicated that DOJ would seek to pursue the matter in partnership with legal officials. “What they are doing we believe is illegal,” Noem asserted.

President Trump echoed Noem’s criticism, focusing his frustration on both CNN and The New York Times for what he described as “fake news” about recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. “They may very well be prosecuted also for having given false reports on the attack in Iran,” Trump said. “They were given totally false reports. It was totally obliterated. And our people have to be celebrated, not come home and say, ‘What do you mean we didn’t hit the target?’ We hit the target quickly.” Trump further claimed, “What they did there, we think, is totally illegal.”

Controversial App and Media Coverage Under Scrutiny

The app at the center of the controversy, ICEBlock, was profiled in a recent CNN story by Clare Duffy, which described how users can alert others about ICE agents in their vicinity. Tech worker Joshua Aaron, who developed the app, told CNN that his goal was to help people “fight back” by increasing community awareness of ICE activities. The article explained that ICEBlock is available to the public and highlighted its growing use among activists and concerned residents.

Former ICE acting director Tom Homan also weighed in, calling the app “out of control” and criticizing any media platform that covers its existence. “They’ve crossed the line here, this is out of control… So I’m hoping DOJ steps in here and see if they cross that line of impeding federal law enforcement officers,” Homan said. He warned that such technology and its media coverage may increase hostility toward law enforcement, noting that assaults against ICE agents have reportedly risen over 500 percent. “Now you’ve got an app that’s going to tell where ICE operations are going to. It’s only a matter of time before ICE agents are ambushed by some nut, like what happened in L.A.,” Homan cautioned.

Amidst the mounting criticism, CNN responded in a statement, emphasizing that their reporting did not promote or endorse the app but simply reported its existence. “This is an app that is publicly available to any iPhone user who wants to download it. There is nothing illegal about reporting the existence of this or any other app, nor does such reporting constitute promotion or other endorsement of the app by CNN,” the network said.

Legal and Press Freedom Questions Loom

The White House, DOJ, and CNN now face heightened scrutiny as the administration considers whether legal grounds exist for prosecuting journalists or media outlets over the coverage of publicly available technology or the reporting of military actions. The case raises significant questions about press freedom, the boundaries of news reporting, and the tension between national security and public information. As the Department of Justice reviews the situation, both supporters and critics are watching closely for potential implications on future media coverage and the rights of journalists in the United States.