The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday (September 10, 2026) removed a Transformers-style advertisement asking “Mr Singh” to self-deport following a backlash from Indian-American groups and Democratic leaders who described it as “racist propaganda”.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used AI-generated imagery on X to push its campaign against unlicensed commercial drivers, featuring a brown-bearded man with a tagline: “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive, Mr. Singh.” The advertisement sparked off a strong push back from Indian-American and Sikh advocacy groups and also got support from Democratic leaders such as California Governor Gavin Newsom and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.
“This is disgusting. Trump’s government is trafficking in racist propaganda targeting the Sikh community,” Newsom’s press office said in a post on X.
Advocacy groups such as the Hindu American Foundation, the Sikh Coalition, HinduAction, and the Coalition of Hindus of North America also dubbed the advertisement as un-American and racist.
The DHS took down the advertisement in question but hit back at Newsom, considered as a potential presidential candidate in the 2028 elections, accusing him of issuing commercial driving licences to illegal immigrants.
The Indian diaspora advocacy groups welcomed the removal of the advertisement by the DHS.
“The DHS has now removed the post we called out yesterday. We welcome its removal. But when a federal agency uses a racialised caricature of an Indian/Sikh man to make a political point, taking the post down is only the first step,” the Hindu American Foundation said.
“Indian Americans, Sikhs, Hindus, and South Asians deserve better from their government,” the HAF said.
However, the DHS posted a video of truck driver Harjinder Singh, who was arrested after an accident caused due to an illegal U-turn last year. Three persons were killed in the crash.
A short video clip in a related post on X shows Megatron, the main antagonist character in the Transformers franchise, negotiating the release of “aliens” — a term used to describe foreign nationals by the U.S. administration.
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.
Another post features Optimus Prime, the main protagonist in the Transformers franchise, with a DHS arm patch confronting the brown-bearded man with the message: “Self-deport or find out.” The reference to “Mr Singh” in the advertisement was criticised by advocacy groups, including the Hindu American Foundation 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,” Hindu American Foundation (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.
“Enforce the law. Do not caricature a people. @DHSgov Dangerous drivers come from all backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths and last names,” the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said.
Singling out SOME last names does nothing for safe streets, but it does endanger the safety of hundreds of thousands of Americans with names like Singh and Kumar, the group said.
Twenty-five years after 9/11, Sikhs are still being targeted and profiled for how we look, the Sikh Coalition 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.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi also condemned the social media post of the DHS and said, “Our government should never use its power to demonise people or suggest that their faith, heritage, or identity means they do not belong here.” “More than 160,000 people in the United States share the surname Singh. When the government demonises a name carried by so many Sikh families, it fuels xenophobia and casts suspicion on an entire community,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.
The row comes amid a DHS campaign to promote its CBP Home programme, which allows eligible undocumented migrants to register their intention to leave the United States voluntarily.
Those registering for self-deportation can receive travel assistance and an exit bonus of $2,600, according to the DHS.
Published – September 11, 2026 06:50 am IST
