VOICE "Alien" Hotline Prank

VOICE "Alien" Hotline Prank

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Updated Apr 28, 2017 at 05:56PM EDT by Don.

Added Apr 28, 2017 at 11:19AM EDT by Matt.

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Overview

VOICE "Alien" Hotline Prank refers to a series of phone calls received by the U.S. Department of Homeland's Security's immigrant crime hotline, VOICE, regarding faux UFO sightings. Callers attempted to flood VOICE hotlines as a means of protesting President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

Background

In his first speech to congress on February 28th, 2017, President Donald Trump announced the formation of VOICE (Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement), a special office charged with collecting the stories of victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.[2]



On April 26th, the VOICE office opened a hotline for victims to call report their stories.[2] VOICE's homepage expressed the groups aims:[3][4]

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) established the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office to acknowledge and serve the needs of crime victims and their families who have been impacted by crimes committed by removable criminal aliens.

This office was explicitly called for in the Presidentā€™s Executive Order titled, ā€œEnhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,ā€ dated January 25, 2017.


ICE Ī¦ ķ˜¼ ICE ICEgov ICE has established a toll-free hotline staffed with operators who will answer calls to ensure victims receive the support they need Dedicated toll-free VOICE htline to ICE 1-855-48-VOICE HO answer questions rom victims

That day, after seeing #AlienDay (a reference to the 1986 James Cameron sci-fi film Aliens) trending on Twitter, Twitter user @AlexanderMcCoy4[5] tweeted (shown below) "Wouldn't it be a shame if millions of people called this hotline to report their encounters with aliens of the UFO-variety." Within two days, the tweet received more than 3,600 retweets and 5,900 likes.


Alexander McCoy @AlexanderMcCoy4 Wouldn't it be a shame if millions of people called this hotline to report their encounters with aliens of the UFO-variety.

Developments

That day, McCoy, an army veteran, described his first call to Buzzfeed.[6]

They asked if I had reported the crime to law enforcement. I said yes. They asked who the victim was. I said me. They said they needed to collect my information and an ā€œengagement officerā€ would follow up with me about my story, and they asked for my name, address, and phone number. I gave them fake information. [When asked what the crime was] I said I had been abducted by a UFO. There was a long pause. I heard them do a big sigh. And they closed out the conversation saying that theyā€™d make a note of it and I should wait for the DHS to investigate my report. And hung up on me. I plan to call again tomorrow.

McCoy later clairified his aims by saying to Snopes:[10]

What is truly beyond the pale is this illegitimate administrationā€™s attempts to use government offices to promote bigotry, spread fear, and divide our nation. The American people are speaking out and making our voices heard that we will not tolerate an office of racist propaganda exploiting the grief of victims of crime.

Those victims are entitled to support and justice. VOICE provides neither, it merely collects stories to slander my neighbors, my friends, people who I served honorably alongside in the United States Marine Corps. Calling to report a UFO is absurd, but no more absurd than this unacceptable, un-American program, and we will not stop until it is shut down.

According to reports[8] from within hours, people began calling the VOICE hotline. Twitter user @RobbieGamer[9] tweeted, "Trumpsā€™ 'VOICE' Hotline set up for people to report on crime from illegal aliens was reportedly overloaded with calls about space aliens." His tweet, shown below, received more than 20,900 retweets and 43,900 likes in the first two days.


Robbie Gramer @RobbieGramer Trumps' "VOICE" Hotline set up for people to report on crime from illegal aliens was reportedly overloaded with calls about space aliens

More people encouraged others to call on Twitter. One tweet (shown below) from @dubsteppenwolf, which reads "The # for Trump's hotline to report "criminal aliens" is 855-48-VOICE. Please do not call this number to describe plots of X-Files episodes" received more than 5,600 retweets and 8,900 likes.


HAUNTED APPLEBEE'S @dubsteppenwolf The # for Trump's hotline to report "criminal aliens" is 855-48-VOICE Please do not call this number to describe plots of X-Files episodes

On April 27th, the website Fusion reached out to ICE for comment on the prank calls. They responded via emails, saying:[7]

The VOICE line remains in operation. As yesterday was its first day I canā€™t give you any sense of whether this group had any impact at all on wait times or call volume because thereā€™s no prior data to compare.

I hope you wonā€™t dignify this group with the attention they are seeking. But if you choose to do soā€¦this groupā€™s cheap publicity stunt is beyond the pale of legitimate public discourse. Their actions seek to obstruct and do harm to crime victims; thatā€™s objectively despicable regardless of oneā€™s views on immigration policy.

The VOICE Office provides information to citizens and non-citizens alike regardless of status, race, etc., whose loved ones have been killed or injured by removable aliens. VOICE provides access to the same information you and other reporters are already able to obtain. Yet this group claims itā€™s somehow racist to give the same to victims of all races and nationalities? That is absurd.

Further, openly obstructing and mocking victims crosses the line of legitimate public discourse. VOICE is a line for victims to obtain information. This groupā€™s stunt is designed to harm victims. That is shameful.

Notables


Steven Santos @stevensantos If any of you need to report space aliens to our government, please call their hotline: 1-855- 48-VOICE. Here are some of their Most Wanted: Parker Molloy @ParkerMolloy In case you want to share your X-Files fan fiction with DHS.. 1-855-48-VOICE Jordan @ Jordan Don't forget to call 1-855-48-VOICE & let them know if you've seen the illegal alien Sasquatch (aka Big Foot), on the 1-1 border !



Johnny Rivera @prjohnnyrivera Please report all alien sightings, UFO, bigfoot and cupacabras; the ICE snitch line is open from 8am-8pm EST 1-855-48-VOICE. Call! Miss Aje Negra @IndiaCorina You guys...im about to call the ICE with mad UFO sightings. THE ALIENS, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE. CALL MULDER AND SCULLY STAT! Brianna Sacks @bri sacks People slammed Trump's new "criminal alien" hotline with space alien reports and the ICE is NOT pleased

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Top Comments

GoldenCommentator
GoldenCommentator

-Genuinely reads the article
-Itā€™s about a nationwide 24/7 hotline from the federal government that only exists to do something incredibly selective and pointless

Wow Iā€™m actually kind of not mad at all this bullshit is getting trolled, what a massive fucking waste of taxpayer money from our Commander in Chiefā€™s staunch Power Budget. Glad weā€™re trying our best to de-fund all those worthless Public Educations and Environmental Protection Agencies so we can Have War Against Drugs 2.0 that isnā€™t even hiding itā€™s blatant agenda pushing.
No but seriously fuck this shit, we are already locking up robbers, thugs, murderers, drug dealers, ect, even if theyā€™re a citizen, documented, or undocumented in this country and once theyā€™re arrested theyā€™ll be on file anyway. This has no reason to fucking exist other than to be a hollow political pulpit, let it get memed on.

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