The Department of Justice (DOJ) has dismissed a forensic accountant after discovering her husband developed an app that warns illegal immigrants of immigration enforcement activity, prompting concerns about the safety of federal agents.
Carolyn Feinstein, a former DOJ forensic accountant, confirmed she was terminated last Friday morning in an email from the department.
Her husband, Joshua Aaron, is the creator of ICEBlock—an app criticized by federal officials for allegedly aiding illegal immigrants in avoiding arrest and placing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in danger.
The DOJ cited Feinstein’s lack of candor during an internal investigation as a reason for the termination. However, Feinstein claims she was fired because of her husband’s political activism.
“This was retribution. I was fired because of the actions, or activism, of my husband,” Feinstein told The Daily Beast. “It is insulting to me because I dedicated myself and my career to serving the people of the United States, and now the DOJ is claiming I was attempting to harm some of them. And that’s not true.”
According to Feinstein, she notified the DOJ of threats received by her husband and mentioned her marriage to Aaron, whom she lives with in Austin, Texas.
“Since we live in the same house, I thought it was pertinent to contact my employer, the DOJ, to notify them of death threats that were coming in,” she said.
Feinstein recounted that roughly a week later, she was contacted by the Office of the U.S. Trustee, which stated it was acting on behalf of an ethics committee.
“They asked me about my relationship to the ICEBlock App,” Feinstein said. “And I informed them in so many words that I really didn’t have any relationship or involvement in the app, I was married to the creator.”
The connection between DOJ employee Carolyn Feinstein and ICEBlock creator Joshua Aaron was first uncovered by two investigative journalists who posted their findings on X.
Conservative commentator Laura Loomer later brought wider attention to the story and discussed the findings with border czar Tom Homan, who stated he had contacted the DOJ.
“The DOJ’s looking at it, and they need to throw some people in jail,” Homan said during an interview, according to The Gateway Pundit.
Aaron’s ICEBlock app, released last month, is designed to alert users of nearby ICE enforcement activity.
Critics argue it serves to obstruct immigration enforcement and endangers law enforcement officials in the field.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said in a Fox News interview that ICE agents have seen a 500 percent increase in assaults, linking the trend to apps like ICEBlock and rhetoric from progressive politicians.
“A lot of this is because politicians like AOC, like Governor Tim Walz, like Gavin Newsom, demonize our ICE enforcement officers and give them (criminals) free passes,” she told Fox’s Dana Perino.
McLaughlin emphasized that such applications actively interfere with the enforcement of federal law.
“Examples like these apps are absolutely obstructing justice,” she said. “Don’t go after our ICE law enforcement. It’s disgusting, it’s wrong, and it’s un-American.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem also indicated that she is coordinating with DOJ officials to explore potential legal action against CNN for promoting the ICEBlock app.
The outcome of that inquiry remains uncertain.
