‘Mr Singh’ Post Row: Despite the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) taking down an advertisement that was widely criticised as racist, the row over the post has intensified. The ad featured an AI-generated image of a brown-bearded man and targeted an Indian-origin truck driver, Harjinder Singh, who was involved in a Florida crash that killed three people in 2025.
DHS Releases Video
The post, shared by DHS on Thursday drew criticism from Sikh and Indian-American groups as well as several Democratic lawmakers. The poster warned immigrants to “self-deport or find out” and also carried the line, “Get off our roads. You don't know how to drive, Mr Singh.” As the backlash grew, the DHS later removed the post from social media.
However, the controversy did not end as the agency then shared a video about Harjinder Singh, who had been accused of making an illegal U-turn that led to a crash in Florida in which three people were killed. The video was posted in response to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s criticism of the advertisement.
DHS Hits Back At Gavin Newsom
Sharing the video, the DHS wrote on X, “Hey Gavin, YOU gave him his CDL, and then he killed three people with his tractor-trailer.” Notably, Newsom had shared a screenshot of the ad and said, “This is disgusting. Trump's government is trafficking in racist propaganda targeting the Sikh community.”
Lawmakers Condemn DHS Post
Several other US lawmakers also accused the Trump administration of promoting anti-Indian and anti-Sikh sentiment. California Representative Josh Harder said removing the posts was not enough and called for those responsible to face consequences. “Taking these posts down is not enough. Whoever allowed this to happen should be fired,” Harder said.
New York Representative Tom Suozzi also criticised the post, calling it “dangerous and divisive.” “Sikhs are not the enemy of the United States. They are neighbours woven into the fabric of our communities, like mine on Long Island and in Queens. We must uplift our people, not divide them. We must do better,” he wrote on X.
Washington Representative Adam Smith slammed the Trump administration for the “dangerous and unacceptable poster.” Meanwhile, Indian diaspora and Sikh advocacy groups welcomed the removal of the advertisement but said the controversy goes beyond simply taking down the post.
The Hindu American Foundation said, “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.”
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