Meta has complied with a Department of Justice request to remove a large Facebook group allegedly used to harass Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents operating in Chicago, Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced Tuesday.
The group was allegedly sharing personal information about ICE agents who were deployed to the city as part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration.
“Today following outreach from @thejusticedept, Facebook removed a large group page that was being used to dox and target @ICEgov agents in Chicago,” Bondi said in a post on X Tuesday.
She added that the move was necessary amid a surge in online threats against law enforcement.
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“The wave of violence against ICE has been driven by online apps and social media campaigns designed to put ICE officers at risk just for doing their jobs,” Bondi wrote. “The Department of Justice will continue engaging tech companies to eliminate platforms where radicals can incite imminent violence against federal law enforcement.”
Bondi did not cite specific incidents linked to the Facebook group, but Meta confirmed to FOX Business on Wednesday that “this group was removed for violating our policies against coordinated harm.”
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According to Meta’s “Coordinating Harm and Promoting Crime” policy, the tech company prohibits users from participating in “certain criminal or harmful activities targeted at people, businesses, property or animals.”
“We allow people to debate and advocate for the legality of criminal and harmful activities, as well as draw attention to harmful or criminal activity that they may witness or experience as long as they do not advocate for or coordinate harm,” the policy says.
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Earlier this month, Apple and Google also pulled apps that crowdsource ICE sightings amid pressure from the Trump administration, according to Reuters.
ICEBlock, considered the most widely used of the ICE-tracking apps, was removed from Apple’s app store on Oct. 2 at the request of the Justice Department, Bondi previously told Fox News Digital. She said the app allowed people to shield illegal immigrants while also endangering federal officers.
The administration has warned that developers of such tracking apps could face prosecution for interfering with federal operations, Reuters reported. Officials have argued that apps and online campaigns have fueled hostility toward federal agents.
In Chicago, where roughly 200 ICE officers have been deployed, tensions have escalated into violent clashes involving hundreds of protesters, Reuters added. The city’s Democratic mayor, Brandon Johnson, and Illinois’ Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, have both voiced opposition to the increased federal presence, the outlet said.
FOX Business’ Ashley Oliver contributed to this story.
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