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US Homeland Security Post Criticized as Anti-Indian and Racist
The United States Department of Homeland Security shared a post about immigration and driving.
It showed a brown man who appeared to look Indian and used the surname Singh.
The post said that Mr Singh did not know how to drive.
Many people said this was racist because Singh is a name used by millions of Sikhs and others.
They also said government agencies should not blame whole communities for the actions of individuals.
The post appeared to refer to an Indian-origin truck driver arrested after a deadly crash in Florida.
The criticism happened while the Trump administration was carrying out a large immigration crackdown.
More than 3,500 Indian citizens were deported from the United States in 2025, according to information given to India’s Parliament.
Advocacy groups called for an investigation into the post.
A United States Department of Homeland Security post told “Mr Singh” to get off US roads and said he did not know how to drive.
The AI-generated image showed Optimus Prime facing a brown man alongside messages urging people to “self-deport.”
Politicians and Indian American advocacy groups called the post racist, xenophobic and discriminatory.
Critics said the post stereotyped Sikhs, Hindus and Indian Americans based on a surname and appearance.
The controversy comes amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and reported deportations of Indian citizens.
- Who
- The United States Department of Homeland Security, Indian and American politicians, and Hindu, Sikh and Indian American advocacy groups were involved.
- What
- The department faced criticism over a social media post portraying “Mr Singh” as an unsafe driver and urging people to self-deport.
- Where
- The post appeared on X in the United States, while criticism came from India and the United States.
- When
- The post was published on Wednesday and was criticized on September 10, 2026; the articles also refer to deportations in 2025 and 2026.
- Why
- Critics said the post used a racial, religious and ethnic stereotype and portrayed a wider community as responsible for individual driving incidents.
Critics of the Post
Department Messaging
Use of the name Singh
Critics of the Post
Critics said singling out Singh stereotyped Sikhs, Hindus and Indian Americans and treated a widely used surname as a punchline.
Department Messaging
The department’s post used “Mr Singh” while urging people to leave US roads and appeared to connect the name with unsafe driving.
Public safety and group identity
Critics of the Post
Advocacy groups said dangerous drivers come from all backgrounds and that communities should not be caricatured because of individual incidents.
Department Messaging
The post was published in response to a video urging people to report allegedly undocumented migrants and used a fatal truck crash as an apparent reference.
Immigration enforcement
Critics of the Post
Critics said depicting a brown person as foreign or un-American could encourage targeting of legal residents and citizens.
Department Messaging
The post used the message “Self-deport or find out” and “America for Americans,” consistent with the administration’s broader deportation messaging.
Key facts
- Platform
- X
- Post reach
- More than 4.2 million views by noon Indian time on Thursday, with more than 1,000 reposts
- Image subject
- An AI-generated poster featuring Optimus Prime and a brown man
- Referenced incident
- An Indian-origin truck driver was arrested in Florida in August 2025 after a crash that killed three people
- Indian deportations in 2025
- More than 3,500 Indian citizens, according to information provided to India’s Parliament
- Indian deportations in 2026
- More than 1,100 Indian citizens, according to information provided to India’s Parliament
- Critics
- Mahua Moitra, Ranjeev Puri, the Hindu American Foundation, and the Coalition of Hindus of North America
Quotes
US Department of Homeland Security
US federal department responsible for homeland security and immigration enforcement
“Get off our roads, you don't know how to drive Mr Singh.”
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Mahua Moitra
Trinamool Congress member of India’s Parliament
“You don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh!”
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Ranjeev Puri
Democratic leader in the Michigan House of Representatives and Sikh-American
“It [the name Singh] is not a punchline, it is a surname carried proudly by millions of Sikhs worldwide, generations of whom have served this nation, built businesses and strengthened the fabric of democracy.”
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Sources
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