An advertisement posted by the Department of Homeland Security asking “Mr Singh” to self-deport has sparked controversy, with advocacy groups calling it “racist” and “anti-American”.
DHS uses AI imagery in campaign
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used AI-generated imagery on X as part of its campaign against unlicensed commercial drivers. One advertisement features a brown-bearded man alongside the tagline: “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr Singh.”
A related short video features Megatron, the main antagonist from the Transformers franchise, negotiating the release of “aliens” — a term used by the US administration for foreign nationals.
Megatron is shown seeking the release of truck drivers Harjinder Singh, Rajinder Kumar, Bekzhan Beishekeev, Akhror Bozorov, and Jasveer Singh, who were involved in road accidents and other crimes.
“If you approach this nation with hostile intent, know this. We will defend ourselves. We will defend Americanism. We will defend our home,” the DHS said in a post on X.
‘Mr Singh’ reference draws criticism
Another post features Optimus Prime, the protagonist of the Transformers franchise, wearing a DHS arm patch and confronting the brown-bearded man with the message: “Self-deport or find out”.
The use of “Mr Singh” in the advertisement drew criticism from advocacy groups, including the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and Sikh Coalition.
“‘Singhs’ are Hindu, they are Sikhs, they are American and they drive. Racist, un-American, anti-Indian profiling/trolling by @DHSgov should shock our nation’s collective conscience,” HAF said in a post on X.
“This is a discriminatory post by a federal agency that is far beyond political messaging, and we welcome an investigation,” the HAF said, tagging Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K Dhillon and FBI Director Kash Patel.
Sikh groups say community is being targeted
The Sikh Coalition also criticised the advertisement and its reference to the surname Singh.
“Twenty-five years after 9/11, Sikhs are still being targeted and profiled for how we look,” the organisation said in a post on X.
“Millions of Sikhs in the United States have the last name Singh, which means lion. We remain fearless in identifying as Sikhs – even when our government portrays us as enemies,” the Sikh Coalition said.
The controversy comes as DHS promotes its CBP Home programme, which allows eligible undocumented migrants to register their intention to leave the US voluntarily.
According to DHS, migrants who register for self-deportation can receive travel assistance along with an exit bonus of USD 2,600.