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The company has removed applications that allowed users to flag encounters of agents from the immigration enforcement agency.

The technology giant announced it had removed the tracking application from its application marketplace after police alerted them about possible "safety risks" associated with the application and "related programs".

According to a declaration provided to press agencies, the top law enforcement official the official had "requested" the app's withdrawal saying it was "designed to put immigration agents at danger".

The programmer countered that such claims were "patently false" and charged the tech firm of "giving in to an dictatorial administration".

History of the Disputed Software

ICEBlock is one of numerous apps introduced recently in answer to expanded immigration crackdown activities across the United States.

Critics - including the maker of ICEBlock - accuse the government of misusing its powers and "bringing terror" to local neighborhoods.

The free application functions by revealing the locations of ICE personnel. It has been installed over a 1 million instances in the America.

Safety Concerns

Nevertheless, law enforcement maintained it was being employed to target ICE officers, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation indicating that the person who attacked an ICE facility in Texas in September - murdering two individuals - had employed comparable applications to follow the movements of agents and their cars.

In a statement, the company said: "We created the digital storefront to be a safe and trusted platform to discover applications.

"Following data we've obtained from police about the safety risks linked to this application, we have withdrawn it and related programs from the application marketplace."

Creator's Reaction

But its creator, Joshua Aaron, disputed it created a danger.

"The software is no different from public reporting police locations, which every notable mapping application, even Apple's own Maps app," he commented.

"This represents protected speech under the first amendment of the American Constitution."

The developer - who has worked in the tech industry for many years - before stated he developed the application out of anxiety over a surge in ICE activities.

"I certainly monitored very carefully during the former government and then I listened to the language during the campaign for the present," he said.

"My brain started considering what was about to transpire and what I could do to protect individuals."

Administration Position

The White House and Federal Bureau of Investigation had denounced the application after it debuted in April and downloads increased.