The United States Department of Homeland Security issued a nationwide law enforcement alert targeting Nashville-based standup comedian Ben Palmer following the viral success of his satirical immigration enforcement website.
The federal bulletin, known as a "Be on the Lookout" or Bolo, was distributed by the agency's Nashville field office in February after Palmer's videos gained millions of views on TikTok and YouTube.
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Internal records obtained by the journalism nonprofit Injustice Watch revealed that the Illinois State Police subsequently shared the alert, which was headlined "online immigration impersonation," to local law enforcement networks.
The federal document featured screenshots of Palmer's website alongside his photograph, though the agency acknowledged that the comedian posed no direct threat to public safety or national infrastructure.
DHS Clarifies Position
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson clarified the agency's position on the matter in an official statement regarding the distributed bulletin.
"There is no ‘investigation’ into this individual – this document is an internal memo shared for awareness purposes only," said a DHS spokesperson.
The representative emphasized that public safety entities must remain vigilant against potential online impersonation of federal authorities.
"Law enforcement and civilians should be aware of potential websites and individuals impersonating federal law enforcement," said a DHS spokesperson.
Palmer, who has operated the mock tip line since January 2025, learned about the law enforcement bulletin after being contacted by an investigative reporter.
"To be honest, for me, it’s the best of both worlds.
I don’t get arrested but I still get to say that the Department of Homeland Security created a document about me, which is … in my line of work I always look at these things as more like certificates, badges of honor," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
The entertainer noted that the federal response provided unique material for his professional stand-up comedy career.
"The government wastes a lot of time in tax dollars, for sure, but when you have your own little section on that, it’s kind of like, I feel honored," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
Palmer expressed a desire to secure legal representation specializing in First Amendment rights while confirming that the bulletin would not halt his satire.
"I don’t want to get arrested," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
He indicated a hope that the situation would secure him a lasting place within the history of political comedy.
"But it would be nice to have a footnote in the history of comedy," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
The online platform created by Palmer captured recorded audio clips from members of the public attempting to report immigrants to federal authorities.
"Yes, I’ve seen a 20-something-year-old immigrant female driving, like, a brand new Corvette," said an anonymous female caller.
The caller contrasted the woman's vehicle with her own older automobile while questioning the neighborhood demographics.
"I’m driving a ’95 pickup that’s about halfway running right now, and all these illegals are out here are driving nice cars, buying up properties, stuff like that.
I’m, like, what in the world is going on?" said an anonymous female caller.
In a separate recorded audio interaction published online, a male caller contacted the parody platform regarding a marital dispute.
"My wife came here. She came here on spouse visa.
I’ve got issues with her and she left me," said an anonymous male caller.
The individual sought assistance from the mock hotline to reverse the visa proceedings during an active divorce filing.
"She filed [for] a divorce, and I wanted to know if you could help me to file that back," said an anonymous male caller.
Palmer questioned the caller directly to clarify the intent behind the submission to the fraudulent hotline.
"You want to get your wife deported?" asked Ben Palmer, Comedian.
The male caller responded regarding the feasibility of utilizing federal law enforcement to remove his spouse from the country.
"I don’t know if that would be possible or not," said an anonymous male caller.
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Palmer continued the interaction by confirming whether the hotline should initiate removal proceedings against the individual.
"So, if it is possible, would you like us to go ahead and deport her?" asked Ben Palmer, Comedian.
The caller provided affirmation to the request made by the comedian during the recorded conversation.
"Yes," said an anonymous male caller.
The fake tip platform exposed deep divisions in public sentiment regarding federal immigration enforcement priorities within the country.
"Most of the people calling say they think they are supposed to do this," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
Palmer told HuffPost that many callers viewed the reports as a civic obligation rather than an act of personal malice.
"That it’s their American duty to report people.
Then there’s people who want revenge on their enemies and are using the hotline to carry it out for them," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
The comedian also detailed an interaction with a suburban school employee who attempted to report the parents of a student.
"Teaches at school, wants kindergarten child’s parents deported," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
According to the video footage, the individual responded to Palmer's direct summary of her reporting request with laughter.
"You make it sound terrible!" said an anonymous kindergarten teacher.
Palmer noted that he followed up with callers to state that the reported individuals were legally present, often adding a joke.
"We did ask her if she could sell it and downgrade to just a bicycle … she wasn’t up for that," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
The comedian stated that while some individuals accepted the follow-up calls, others reacted with hostility after discovering the videos online.
"Sometimes they don’t want to believe it when I call back," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
He added that one specific caller frequently leaves angry responses on his voicemail system after identifying her audio clip.
"Others accept it and seem to be OK with it, and other times they seem a little annoyed," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
The comedic project has continued to run amidst broader public debate surrounding federal immigration policies under the current administration.
"But one person found the video I posted of her and now she calls and leaves me voicemails filled with expletives," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
Palmer stated that he routinely reviews the angry messages left by the caller as a source of personal amusement.
"They are pretty funny. I listen to them before I go to sleep at night," said Ben Palmer, Comedian.
Prior to the issuance of the Bolo alert, federal authorities had expressed concern over online platforms that mimic official agency channels.
The agency stated to The Washington Post that it was "aware of a fraudulent YouTube page falsely representing ICE" and added that the organization "strongly [condemns] any actions intended to mislead the public or impersonate official government entities."
Former law enforcement officials noted that utilizing a nationwide alert system for a satirical website is highly unconventional.
Darius Reeves, a retired ICE field office director, explained that bulletins typically include terms such as "‘considered armed and dangerous,’ ‘approach with caution,’ or ‘do not approach at all’" to signal imminent danger.
Reeves stated that while he understood agency concerns regarding fraudulent hotlines, issuing a law enforcement alert for a comedian remained "unusual."
Civil liberties advocates expressed concern over the federal response, citing a broader historical pattern of agency surveillance against critics.
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Esha Bhandari, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, stated that the federal agency has to know "that by taking any official law enforcement action against someone, that they’re intending to scare people away from speaking out against them."
