started · updated
US DHS removes controversial 'Mr. Singh' deportation advertisement
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has removed a controversial social media advertisement following widespread accusations of racism and profiling. The campaign, which utilized AI-generated imagery and characters from the Transformers franchise, targeted the Sikh and South Asian communities by using the common surname 'Mr. Singh' in a message telling him to 'get off our roads' and 'self-deport or find out.'
Advocacy groups, including the Hindu American Foundation and the Sikh Coalition, condemned the posts as discriminatory and 'anti-Indian.' Critics noted the timing of the campaign, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a period when Sikh Americans faced significant hate crimes. Lawmakers, including Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and California Governor Gavin Newsom, also denounced the messaging as 'racist propaganda.'
The DHS defended the campaign by linking it to a real-life incident involving an Indian national, Harjinder Singh, who was involved in a fatal crash in Florida. The agency dismissed the backlash as 'nonsensical drivel.' Additionally, Hasbro issued a formal complaint regarding the unauthorized use of its Transformers intellectual property, including characters like Optimus Prime and Megatron, in the government's promotional materials.
Entities
Department of Homeland Security · Donald Trump · Harjinder Singh · Hasbro · Hindu American Foundation · Raja Krishnamoorthi · Sikh Coalition
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 6 SOURCES] The Hindu American Foundation described the advertisement as racist, un-American, and anti-Indian profiling. assamtribune.com · www.chennaionline.com · www.timesnownews.com · news.abplive.com · www.newsbytesapp.com · +1 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] The DHS released an advertisement on X featuring a brown-bearded man and the tagline 'Get off our roads, you don't know how to drive Mr Singh.' assamtribune.com · www.chennaionline.com · www.newindianexpress.com · www.theblaze.com · www.timesnownews.com · +7 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Sikh Coalition called the post discriminatory and noted that Sikhs continue to be profiled based on their appearance. assamtribune.com · www.chennaionline.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The DHS used AI-generated imagery and characters from the Transformers franchise, such as Megatron, in its social media campaign. assamtribune.com · www.chennaionline.com · www.newindianexpress.com · www.theblaze.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The campaign aims to promote a tip line for reporting commercial driver's license fraud and unlicensed drivers. www.theblaze.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The campaign included a poster featuring the character Optimus Prime with the message 'Self-deport or find out.' assamtribune.com · www.theblaze.com · www.timesnownews.com · newsable.asianetnews.com