Harjinder Singh AI media incident — Sep 2026
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security removed an AI-generated social media advertisement following intense backlash over racial and religious profiling
- Incident date
- Sep 2026
- Target
- Harjinder Singh
On September 9, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published an AI-generated advertisement on its official X account that triggered widespread condemnation. The graphic, which featured a turbaned, bearded man labeled “Mr Singh,” was part of an immigration-enforcement campaign targeting commercial truck drivers. The post was removed following significant criticism from Sikh, Hindu, and Indian-American organizations, as well as lawmakers, who argued the imagery reinforced racial and religious stereotypes.
What happened
The DHS campaign utilized AI-generated imagery featuring a DHS-branded version of the character Optimus Prime from the Transformers franchise. The poster included the text, “America for Americans. Get off our roads; you don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh,” accompanied by the slogan “Self-deport or find out.”
Following the backlash, DHS clarified that the “Mr Singh” character was intended to represent Harjinder Singh, a truck driver involved in a fatal 2025 Florida Turnpike crash. However, critics noted that the combination of the surname “Singh” and the visual depiction of a man with a beard and head covering strongly associated the ad with Sikh and Indian identities. The Sikh Coalition and the Hindu American Foundation were among the organizations that condemned the post, highlighting that the surname Singh is common among millions of Sikhs and Hindus.
In addition to the controversy over profiling, the campaign faced legal scrutiny regarding intellectual property. The material, titled “Transformers: Age of Deportations,” used the Transformers brand without authorization. Hasbro, the owner of the intellectual property, stated it was not involved in the campaign and objected to the use of its character, which it described as representing leadership, compassion, and justice. While DHS removed the advertisement, it did not issue a public apology and continued its broader immigration-enforcement messaging. The incident underscores the complexities of using AI-generated content in government communications and the sensitivity required when depicting minority communities in official messaging.