CHANDIGARH: The controversy over the Trump administration’s messaging targeting Indian-origin truck drivers in the United States refuses to die down.
The latest development came after Punjab-born truck driver Manjit Singh was arrested in Ohio in connection with a fatal crash that killed a woman. The incident comes amid growing criticism from Indian-American and Sikh advocacy groups, which have accused the administration of using racist and discriminatory messaging.
The backlash intensified after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removed an AI-generated advertisement from X that urged “Mr. Singh” to self-deport. The post featured a Transformers-themed cartoon of a brown-bearded man with the tagline: “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh.” DHS did not immediately explain why the post was removed.
Indian-American organisations and Democratic lawmakers condemned the graphic, saying it unfairly targeted Sikh Americans and could cast suspicion on millions of people who share the surname Singh.
The controversy also triggered a public clash between California Governor Gavin Newsom and the federal government.
The DHS had earlier posted a graphic referencing Harjinder Singh, an Indian national facing vehicular homicide and manslaughter charges after allegedly making an illegal U-turn in a semi-truck in Florida, killing three people. Singh has pleaded not guilty.
Responding to criticism from Newsom, DHS wrote on X: “This may be the laziest lie you’ve ever told and that’s saying something.”
Newsom subsequently criticised the Trump administration, writing: “This is disgusting. Trump’s government is trafficking in racist propaganda targeting the Sikh community.”
DHS responded with a video, stating: “Hey Gavin, YOU gave him his CDL and then he killed three people with his tractor-trailer.”
Senator Adam Schiff also condemned the campaign, accusing DHS of “obvious bigotry” and saying its advertising campaign was “hateful, disgraceful, and un-American.”
The deleted graphic was part of a broader DHS social-media campaign targeting unauthorised commercial drivers accused of involvement in fatal crashes.
In one post, DHS urged Americans to report alleged commercial driver’s licence fraud, stating that “far too many American lives have been lost or permanently changed because illegal aliens who have no business being on our roads have been granted CDLs.”
DHS also urged the public to report “dangerous and fraudulent CDL practices” through an ICE tip line.
In another post, the department highlighted a separate fatal crash involving an undocumented immigrant, saying it was committed to removing “criminal illegal aliens” from the country.
Ohio Crash
Meanwhile, Manjit Singh, an Indian national from Punjab, was arrested in Ohio after a September 2 crash in Brown County that killed 50-year-old Brenda Watson.
According to DHS, Singh’s semi-truck attempted to pass another vehicle by entering the opposite lane before colliding head-on with Watson’s car. Watson died at the scene. A witness reportedly told investigators that the truck was speeding and had sufficient time and space to return to its lane.
Singh was arrested and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide. ICE subsequently lodged a detainer with the Brown County Jail.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Singh had entered the United States through Arizona in October 2023 and was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol before being released into the country. He later applied for work authorisation in July 2024, which was granted in August 2024.
DHS also said Singh had obtained a commercial driver’s licence (CDL) in California.
DHS Targets California’s CDL Policies
The department has also cited several other cases involving Indian-origin truck drivers who allegedly obtained CDLs in California.
DHS said that in January, ICE lodged detainers against Gunpreet Singh and Jasveer Singh after they were arrested in Indiana on allegations of smuggling more than 300 pounds of cocaine in a semi-truck. Both had reportedly received CDLs from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles.
DHS also cited the case of Rajinder Kumar, an Indian national who allegedly jackknifed his semi-truck in Oregon in November 2025, killing a newlywed couple. ICE arrested him in April 2026.
Another case involved Harjinder Singh, who DHS said made an illegal U-turn in a semi-truck in Florida in August 2025, killing three people. Singh had obtained his CDL in California.
The administration has used these cases to argue that California’s licensing policies and Newsom’s approach to immigration have created risks beyond the state’s borders.
The campaign, however, has drawn strong criticism from Sikh and Indian-American organisations, lawmakers and civil-rights advocates, who argue that the administration is using individual criminal cases to stigmatise an entire ethnic and religious community.