DHS Mr Singh self-deport ad sparks racism row in the US

The US Department of Homeland Security posted "Mr Singh" self-deport messages using AI imagery and Transformers characters. Sikh and Hindu advocacy groups say the campaign stereotypes South Asians and normalises discriminatory federal messaging.An advertisement by the US Department of Homeland Security asking “Mr Singh” to self-deport has triggered a controversy, with advocacy groups calling it racist and anti-American. The campaign was posted on X as part of the department’s push against commercial drivers without licences.The DHS used AI-generated imagery showing a brown-bearded man with the tagline, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr Singh.” Another post featured Optimus Prime, the main protagonist in the Transformers franchise, wearing a DHS arm patch and confronting the same man with the message: “Self-deport or find out”.In a related video clip posted on X, Megatron, the main antagonist character in the Transformers franchise, is shown negotiating the release of “aliens”, a term used by the US administration for foreign nationals. In the clip, Megatron seeks 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.In another post on X, the DHS said: “If you approach this nation with hostile intent, know this. We will defend ourselves. We will defend Americanism. We will defend our home.” The reference to “Mr Singh” drew criticism from groups including the Hindu American Foundation and the 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,” the Hindu American Foundation said in a post on X.The group added, “This is a discriminatory post by a federal agency that is far beyond political messaging, and we welcome an investigation,” while tagging Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K Dhillon and FBI Director Kash Patel. The Sikh Coalition said in a post on X: “Twenty-five years after 9/11, Sikhs are *still* being targeted and profiled for how we look.” It added, “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 row comes as the DHS promotes its CBP Home programme, which allows eligible undocumented migrants to register their intention to leave the United States voluntarily. According to the department, those who register for self-deportation can receive travel assistance and an exit bonus of USD 2,600.The controversy centres on a DHS social media campaign that used “Mr Singh” and Transformers characters in posts linked to its enforcement messaging, drawing strong objections from advocacy groups even as the department continues to promote its self-deportation programme.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 10, 2026 10:32 IST