Department of Homeland Security ad tells 'Mr Singh' to self-deport, draws criticism from advocacy groups

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is facing backlash after posting an X ad that uses AI-generated imagery to target unlicensed commercial drivers. The campaign shows a brown-bearded man identified as “Mr Singh,” alongside the message: “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr Singh,” and includes a related video referencing Transformers characters in an attempt to depict negotiations for truck drivers Harjinder Singh, Rajinder Kumar, Bekzhan Beishekeev, Akhror Bozorov and Jasveer Singh. Advocacy groups, including the Hindu American Foundation and Sikh Coalition, criticized the use of the surname “Singh,” alleging racist and anti-Indian profiling. The DHS also promoted its CBP Home programme, offering eligible migrants travel assistance and a USD 2,600 exit bonus.