The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a 'Be on the Lookout' (Bolo) alert to law enforcement agencies across the country, targeting a comedian whose satirical take on immigration enforcement went viral. The alert, obtained by the non-profit Injustice Watch through public records requests, names Ben Palmer, a Nashville-based standup comedian who created a parody website impersonating an official Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tip line.
Palmer's spoof site, which encourages the public to report suspected illegal immigrants, generated millions of views on TikTok and YouTube after he posted recordings of calls with individuals who believed they were contacting federal authorities. The DHS bulletin, issued by its Nashville field office in February, described the site as 'a satirical website impersonating a submission form' and included screenshots of Palmer's page and YouTube channel, alongside his photograph.
The alert was subsequently shared by Illinois state police to a distribution list of state and local law enforcement agencies. However, the DHS acknowledged in the memo that Palmer posed no threat, stating: 'At this time, there appears to be no direct threat to life or infrastructure.' A DHS spokesperson later clarified that the document was an internal memo shared for awareness purposes only, and that no formal investigation was under way.
Palmer, who learned of the alert from a reporter, described it as a 'badge of honour' for his comedy work. 'The government wastes a lot of time in tax dollars, but when you have your own little section on that, it's kind of like, I feel honoured,' he said. However, he expressed concern that such monitoring could escalate into more serious repercussions, such as arrest.
Darius Reeves, a retired ICE field office director, told Injustice Watch that Bolo alerts are typically reserved for serious threats and often include warnings such as 'considered armed and dangerous'. He described the issuance for a comedian as 'unusual', though he understood why federal authorities might be wary of a fake tip line. The Illinois terrorism and intelligence centre said it shared the alert for 'situational awareness purposes'.
