An AI-generated poster shared by the official US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) X account has sparked a row, drawing widespread condemnation from Sikh, Hindu and Punjabi-American advocacy groups, which accuse federal authorities of state-sanctioned profiling. The image targets a driver called “Mr Singh” while promoting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign against some commercial drivers working on American roads.
DHS AI campaign puts ‘Mr Singh’ at centre of immigration message
The controversy began after DHS published an AI-generated image styled like the Transformers franchise. It shows a brown, bearded man wearing a head covering facing a large robot carrying DHS branding.
The poster carries the message: “America for Americans. Get off our roads; you don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh.” The campaign also uses the phrase “Self-deport or find out” as part of its immigration enforcement messaging.
The use of “Singh” quickly became the focus of criticism. The surname is widely associated with Sikhs, although it is also used by Hindus and other communities in India and abroad.
The Sikh Coalition said the imagery raised concerns about Sikhs being singled out because of their appearance. The Hindu American Foundation also objected to the post, saying, “‘Singhs’ are Hindu, they are Sikhs, they are American, and they drive.”
Civil rights groups point to history of violence against Sikhs
The criticism comes against a history of attacks on Sikh Americans. According to the Sikh Coalition’s analysis of FBI figures, 177 anti-Sikh hate crime incidents were reported in the United States in 2025.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Sikh Americans faced violence and harassment, with some victims targeted after being mistaken for Muslims. Balbir Singh Sodhi, a gas station owner in Arizona, was shot dead four days after the attacks.
Another major attack came in 2012, when a white supremacist opened fire at a Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Six worshippers were killed. Civil rights advocates say that history makes government messaging tied to Sikh identity especially sensitive.
Immigrant truck drivers face tighter US licence rules
The DHS campaign comes as the Trump administration increases scrutiny of immigrant commercial drivers. The push followed several serious highway crashes involving foreign-born or non-domiciled drivers.
One case that received national attention was an August 2025 Florida Turnpike crash involving Harjinder Singh. Three people were killed in the crash.
Federal regulators later tightened requirements for non-domiciled commercial driver’s licences, known as CDLs. Officials cited five fatal crashes involving holders of such licences in 2025 and raised concerns about how states check immigration documents and foreign driving records.
- DHS message: The campaign links immigration enforcement with commercial road safety.
- Community concern: Advocacy groups say using “Singh” turns a regulatory issue into identity-based targeting.
- Policy dispute: The controversy now sits at the intersection of immigration enforcement, highway safety and civil rights.
