'Racist, Anti-American': Advocacy Groups Slam DHS Advertisement Targeting 'Mr Singh'

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently sparked controversy with an advertisement that featured AI-generated imagery of a brown-bearded man labeled "Mr. Singh." The ad, posted on X, urged him to self-deport, stating, "Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh." The image was set against a background showing the Transformers character Megatron negotiating the release of "aliens," a term used to describe foreign nationals by the US administration.

The DHS also posted Optimus Prime, the main protagonist of the Transformers franchise, confronting the same man with the message: "Self-deport or find out." The campaign against unlicensed commercial drivers was aimed at promoting the CBP Home program, which allows undocumented migrants to voluntarily leave the United States and receive travel assistance and an exit bonus of $2,600.

Advocacy groups such as the Hindu American Foundation and Sikh Coalition slammed the DHS advertisement as "racist," "anti-American," and "discriminatory." The groups emphasized that many "Singhs" are Hindu, Sikh, and American citizens who drive, and their portrayal as a threat is both discriminatory and un-American. The HAF and Sikh Coalition called for an investigation into the matter, urging the federal agency to reconsider its actions.

This controversy comes as the DHS is promoting its self-deportation program, which assists eligible undocumented migrants in leaving the country voluntarily.