Obviously,
the principal day of Donald Trump's new foreigner wrongdoing hotline went
incredibly — just not in the way the Trump organization had most likely
trusted.
The
Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement Office (VOICE), built up to help
casualties of wrongdoings perpetrated by "removable criminal
outsiders," was supposedly trick called throughout the day by
nonconformists asserting to have been mishandled by E.T., Jabba the Hutt, and
different infamous animals from space.
The
pattern was first seen by Robbie Gramer, an author for Foreign Policy.
Trumps’
“VOICE” Hotline set up for people to report on crime from illegal aliens was
reportedly overloaded with calls about space aliens
—
Robbie Gramer (@RobbieGramer) April 26, 2017
An
Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson told Buzz Feed that the
hotline was "tied up" throughout the day by the protesters.
Alexander
McCoy, a Marine Corps veteran and progressive activist, claims to have kicked
off the tongue-in-cheek protest with a tweet Wednesday afternoon.
Wouldn't
it be a shame if millions of people called this hotline to report their
encounters with aliens of the UFO-variety. https://t.co/Cl048Gihnk
—
Alexander McCoy (@AlexanderMcCoy4) April 26, 2017
"I
swore an oath to defend my community and uphold the Constitution," McCoy
says. "I see speaking out as a way of continuing to fulfill my oath and
standing behind the immigrant community that is under attack."
McCoy,
who explains that he finds the term "aliens" intentionally
dehumanizing, called the hotline and — after waiting on hold for 20 minutes —
was asked if he was calling to report a crime by an "illegal alien."
He
told the operator that he'd been abducted and taken to a UFO.
"I
heard them give a long sigh," he says. "And they closed out the
conversation saying that they'd make a note of it."
Critics
of VOICE allege that it unfairly demonizes immigrants — singling them out for
suspicion based on their status.
The
office was announced during Trump's February address to Congress during a
tribute to four guests whose family members were killed by undocumented
immigrants.
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Photo
by John Moore/Getty Images.
Two
recent studies conducted by The Sentencing Project, a criminal justice reform
organization, and the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, found that
immigrants — whether documented or undocumented — commit crimes at lower rates
than native-born residents.
An
ICE official told Upworthy that the VOICE office is intended to provide
information to crime victims, does not receive crime reports, and that he
considers the protest a "shameful" stunt at victims' expense.
After
McCoy's tweet went mini-viral, other prank-tivists began calling in, adding
their own spin.
Michigan
resident Lisa Polmanteer used her time on the phone with a VOICE representative
to troll Melania Trump — claiming to have been "victimized" by an
immigrant living off her tax dollars in New York City.
According
to Polmanteer, the operator asked if she was talking about the first lady. When
she said yes, he hung up.
Others
on Twitter suggested an entirely different, punny approach.
Wouldn't
it be ~weird~ if people called in to the #VOICE, thinking it was a singing
audition hotline? https://t.co/if9uJlUYru
—
Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) April 27, 2017
While
the prank was undoubtedly silly, its message was incredibly serious.
"I
feel like the administration is going to use these stories to further demonize
immigrants [and] refugees," Polmanteer says. "My grandparents were
immigrants. I take it personally, I guess."
McCoy
hopes the protest will move participants to support the efforts of immigrant
rights groups, like United We Dream, Presente, Mijente, and the DRM Action
Coalition, who have been, as he says, "fighting this fight much longer
than I have."
He
also hopes people will continue to take action against attempts to stigmatize
those who come to the U.S. seeking a better life.
For
now, that means fighting efforts like VOICE — even if it means being a little
annoying.
Or
especially if it means being a little annoying.
"I
feel like the only thing I can do about it is be disruptive." Polmanteer
says. [I'm] feeling pretty overwhelmed and powerless, you know? So I'm a jerk
wherever I can be."