Washington: A social media campaign by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has triggered a major political controversy after the agency used an Indian-origin truck driver, Harjinder Singh, in a post promoting its self-deportation message.
The DHS had shared a poster warning immigrants to “self-deport or find out.” The graphic also carried the line, “Get off our roads. You don't know how to drive, Mr Singh.” The reference to Singh, along with the use of his name and photograph, quickly drew criticism online, with several people describing the post as racist and discriminatory towards the Indian and Sikh communities.
The post came as the Trump administration continues to push its campaign encouraging undocumented immigrants and others without legal status to leave the United States voluntarily.
Harjinder Singh, an Indian-origin truck driver, was involved in a fatal crash in Florida. He had been accused of making an illegal U-turn with a tractor-trailer, resulting in a collision that killed three people. DHS later shared a video about the incident after the controversial poster attracted widespread attention.
Several US lawmakers condemned the DHS campaign. California Representative Josh Harder said people should not be targeted because of their faith or name and argued that simply removing the posts was not enough. He called for those responsible for approving the campaign to be held accountable.
New York Representative Tom Suozzi also criticised the message, saying Sikhs should not be portrayed as enemies of the United States. He stressed that Sikh Americans are part of communities across the country and should not be subjected to divisive political messaging.
Washington Representative Adam Smith described the poster as dangerous and unacceptable. He also linked the controversy to concerns over rising hate crimes, arguing that national leaders should work to unite Americans rather than deepen divisions.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was among the other prominent critics. He accused the Trump administration of using racist propaganda. Senator Adam Schiff also condemned the campaign, saying such messaging could encourage suspicion against millions of Americans because of their background or appearance.
Following the backlash, DHS removed the original poster from social media. However, the department defended its broader immigration campaign and responded directly to its critics.
In a post targeting Newsom, DHS said the California governor had issued Singh’s commercial driver's licence and pointed to the fatal crash.
Despite the controversy, DHS has continued posting messages encouraging self-deportation, including a series of posts inspired by the popular film Transformers.
The incident has sparked a wider debate in the US over immigration enforcement, political messaging and the treatment of minority communities. It has also highlighted growing tensions surrounding the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies.
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