A surge of pro-illegal immigration activities has disrupted the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; however, CNN escalated this disruption to an unprecedented level on Monday — potentially even violating the law, asserted Trump advisor Stephen Miller on the same day.
Miller, a staunch advocate for border security and the deputy chief of staff to President Donald Trump, criticized the beleaguered cable news network for its recent coverage of a new application developed to assist illegal immigrants in evading detection by ICE. According to the founder, the software functions as an “early warning system,” aimed at providing less alarming information regarding ICE operations.
“The intention is not to obstruct ICE activities, but rather to enable individuals to evade them entirely if they choose to do so,” clarified CNN correspondent Clare Duffy.
While the app does not introduce any groundbreaking features compared to existing community reporting platforms, its specific emphasis on ICE presence has yet to be fully realized in a dedicated application. Users who encounter ICE agents in their vicinity can report their sightings to the broader community, allowing others to avoid those areas.
This free and anonymous service enables users to notify other users within a 5-mile radius of an ICE sighting through a “free push alert.”
Joshua Aaron, the app’s developer, stands out as one of the few “voices within the tech community who oppose” ICE, particularly in a time when prominent figures like Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg are vying for influence with the president, Duffy noted.
Miller remarked on the peculiar choice of words regarding legal violations after viewing the segment.
“CNN is actively assisting invaders and insurrectionists in undermining ICE,” he posted on X.
Despite the willingness of CNN’s new CEO, Mark Thompson, to adjust its previously negative portrayal of Trump, the network has been reverting to its former practices in recent weeks.
CNN referenced a preliminary assessment from U.S. intelligence indicating that Trump’s bombing campaign in Iran was largely ineffective, a report that elicited strong backlash from the administration. Trump has seized the opportunity to criticize correspondents such as Kaitlan Collins for purportedly showing disrespect towards the troops through her reporting.
Shortly thereafter, the network began featuring guests who contradicted its initial report, indicating that Thompson is still facing challenges in balancing newsroom independence with editorial oversight.
Illegal immigration has become a contentious issue between the Trump administration and media outlets like CNN, which frequently provide favorable coverage of individuals suspected of being illegal immigrants arrested by ICE. The network was among many to imply that “Maryland man” Kilmar Abrego Garcia was an otherwise innocent and hardworking illegal immigrant prior to his arrest.
Currently, the network is covering Garcia’s ongoing human trafficking trial in Tennessee.
Miller has emphasized that the administration will not achieve its mass deportation objectives without targeting individuals who have no history of violence or criminality aside from their illegal entry into the country. He has directed ICE officials to uphold a daily quota of 3,000 arrests or face the risk of job loss, according to sources who have attended meetings with Trump’s immigration advisor in recent months.