‘Get off our roads, Mr Singh’: US govt poster ignites backlash over targeting of Sikhs
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is facing backlash for an AI-generated poster that targets the Sikh community by using the surname 'Singh' in a derogatory immigration campaign. Advocacy groups argue the imagery promotes anti-Sikh sentiment and racial profiling.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the risks of using AI in government messaging and the potential for state-sponsored content to exacerbate social tensions and discrimination.
TOI correspondent from Washington: The US department of homeland security (DHS) has managed to turn a common Indian surname into the latest flashpoint in America’s immigration wars.In an AI-generated, Transformers-style poster posted on the official DHS X account, a brown, bearded man wearing a head covering is confronted by a giant DHS-branded robot beneath the words: “America for Americans. Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh.” The campaign also invokes “self-deportation” and depicts immigration enforcement through the imagery of Transformers characters.The post is part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign against immigrants working as commercial drivers. But the choice of “Mr Singh” -- a surname usually associated with Sikhs and also used by Hindus -- has triggered a backlash among Sikh, Hindu, Punjabi American and immigrant organizations.The Sikh Coalition said the imagery was another example of Sikhs being targeted because of their appearance.
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