2 hrs ago
DHS Removes ‘Mr Singh’ Deportation Poster After Racism Backlash
The US Department of Homeland Security made a deportation advertisement using a character called “Mr Singh.”
The poster showed a man resembling Harjinder Singh, who was arrested after a deadly traffic crash in Florida.
It used words that critics said insulted Sikh people and others with the Singh surname.
The poster also used characters from the Transformers movies.
After many people complained, DHS removed the post.
Some US politicians said the government should not blame an entire community for one person’s alleged actions.
Indian opposition politicians criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for not responding strongly.
DHS continued to defend its immigration campaign and said the government had given Singh a commercial driving licence.
Singh has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
The US Department of Homeland Security removed a post depicting “Mr Singh” in its “Age of Deportation” campaign.
The poster referenced Harjinder Singh, a truck driver arrested over a Florida collision that killed three people.
Critics called the imagery racist and offensive to Sikh and Indian communities, while DHS defended its immigration messaging.
US Democrats and Indian opposition leaders criticized the campaign and questioned the Indian government’s response.
Harjinder Singh has pleaded not guilty, while DHS has described him as a “criminal illegal alien.”
- Who
- The US Department of Homeland Security, Harjinder Singh, US and Indian politicians, and Sikh and Hindu groups were involved in the controversy.
- What
- DHS removed a social media poster targeting “Mr Singh” after backlash over language and imagery critics called racist.
- Where
- The campaign appeared on social media in the United States; the traffic collision referenced in the poster occurred in Florida.
- When
- The removal occurred after the poster was published and drew widespread criticism; the articles do not give a specific date.
- Why
- DHS said the campaign promoted immigration enforcement, while critics said it stereotyped Sikhs and demonized people based on their identity.
Critics of the campaign
DHS immigration-enforcement position
Use of Sikh identity
Critics of the campaign
Critics said depicting a Sikh-looking man and using “Mr Singh” turned a widely shared name and Sikh identity into a stereotype, potentially fueling xenophobia.
DHS immigration-enforcement position
DHS presented the poster as part of an immigration-enforcement campaign focused on alleged undocumented immigrants and defended its messaging after the post was removed.
Treatment of Harjinder Singh
Critics of the campaign
Critics emphasized that Singh has pleaded not guilty and argued that government messaging should not demonize people or imply that faith, heritage, or identity determines belonging.
DHS immigration-enforcement position
DHS described Singh as a “criminal illegal alien” and highlighted that the government had given him a commercial driving licence.
Indian government response
Critics of the campaign
Indian opposition figures said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had failed to issue a strong public rebuttal despite what they called insults against Indians and people of Indian origin.
DHS immigration-enforcement position
The articles do not report a public response from the Modi government, while BJP spokesman R.P. Singh criticized the US campaign and urged immigration laws to be enforced with dignity and respect.
Key facts
- Campaign
- DHS’s posters used the tagline “Age of Deportation” and characters from the Transformers series.
- Removed wording
- The poster told “Mr Singh” to “get off our roads” and included “America for Americans” and “Self-deport or find out.”
- Referenced person
- Harjinder Singh, a truck driver arrested in Florida over a collision that killed three people.
- Legal status
- Harjinder Singh has pleaded not guilty.
- DHS description
- DHS called Singh a “criminal illegal alien” and said the government had given him a commercial driving licence.
- Political criticism
- California Governor Gavin Newsom, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Indian opposition figures, and others condemned the campaign.
- Surname prevalence
- Raja Krishnamoorthi said more than 160,000 people in the United States share the surname Singh.
Quotes
Raja Krishnamoorthi
US congressman
“Modi ji, who has been showcasing his international clout by calling Donald Trump his ‘friend’ and who even coined the slogan ‘Abki Baar Trump Sarkar’ among Indian-Americans, is now seeing continuous insults against Indians and people of Indian origin under his administration. Yet, the Modi government is behaving as if it is a silent partner in this entire episode.”
telegraphindia.com
“Our government should never use its power to demonise people or suggest that their faith, heritage, or identity means they do not belong here.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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