The Mobile Identify app was reportedly used by local police officers to identify immigrants wanted by ICE.
An app rolled out by the Trump administration allowing local police to use facial recognition technology to identify illegal immigrants has been pulled from the Google Play Store, it was reported Friday.
The Mobile Identify app was released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection just a few weeks ago, but it had disappeared by Friday, per 404 Media. Newsweek could not find the app on the store or CBP’s website. Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Google for comment via email on Friday afternoon. Why It Matters The Trump administration has been seeking to use a variety of new tools as part of its efforts to deliver on the promise of mass deportations of illegal immigrants, but critics have warned that some of the technology, as well as data sharing between agencies, pose a risk not just to illegal immigrants, but to all American residents who could see their privacy infringed upon. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agent stands at Border Field State Park with the US-Mexico border wall in the background on August 17, 2025, in Imperial Beach, California. What To Know CBP uses a range of apps as part of its border security efforts, including the Global Entry and CBP Link apps for entry into and out of the U.S., as well as the CBP Home app, which allows those without legal status to self-deport. Not listed on the Google Play Store, as of Friday afternoon, was Mobile Identify, with the link to the app appearing to be broken. The app, launched in November, allowed users, including federal agents and local police, to use facial recognition databases held by CBP and ICE to identify those without legal status. Reports had circulated in recent weeks, per 404 Media, that some of those positively identified included U.S. citizens. Some staff at Google were reported to be unhappy with the app being included on the company’s store. Mobile Identify was intended as one element of using local law enforcement as part of federal immigration enforcement efforts, with the app telling officers to contact ICE if there was a positive match. The app is a version of a more robust app used by federal agents themselves, Mobile Fortify, which draws from a database of more than 200 million images held by CBP, which can then return a person’s name, date of birth, immigration status, and the alien number assigned by USCIS. Google had told 404 that the app was only usable by those with official government logins and that if the company found any violations of its policies, it would take action. Other apps have also appeared in the months since Trump returned to the White House, aimed at tracking ICE activity in communities across the U.S., something DHS has criticized. Officials have said that such apps could put federal agents at risk, while those behind them have said they want to keep law-abiding undocumented immigrants safe. On Friday, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino, a New York Republican, and Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee Chairman Josh Brecheen, sent letters to Apple and Google’s CEO’s, raising concerns about such apps – some of which the companies have already removed from their app stores. What People Are Saying Google, in an earlier statement to 404 Media: “This app is only usable with an official government login and does not publicly broadcast specific user data or location. Play has robust policies and when we find a violation, we take action.” New York Republican Representative Andrew Garbarino, in a statement to Newsweek earlier Friday on ICE agent tracking apps: “Apps that broadcast the location and identity of law enforcement personnel don’t just put them at risk – they undermine lawful government operations and embolden bad actors. The Committee wants clear answers on what tech companies are doing to stop this abuse. Protecting our law enforcement officers is fundamental to protecting the safety and security of our communities.” What’s Next It was unclear on Friday afternoon if the Mobile ID app would return to the Google Play Store.
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