New Delhi: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security shared a Transformers parody on September 9, showing a robot confronting a man in a bandana, with the racist message, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh.” A day later, this message was deleted, but not after outrage from a wide section of people, including a statement from Transformers-maker Hasbro.pic.twitter.com/JoS1yxZzfJ— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 9, 2026The line, which appeared to target all Sikh Americans and not just those who are in the US illegally, has drawn loud criticism. Sikh and Hindu communities share the last name ‘Singh’ and form a large part of the US trucking workforce.Incidentally, the figure on the left, meant to signify the US, the autobot, is a robot from outer space in Transformer lore – and thus, is literally an actual alien. Hours after the post was put up, the Transformers’ official account and its maker, Hasbro, posted a statement saying it did not endorse these messages, which used their characters without permission.The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrant truckers has gained momentum since Indian-born Harjinder Singh allegedly made an illegal U-turn, causing a crash that ended up killing three people in late 2025. The conservative attention has largely centred on assumptions that Indian-origin truckers do not know how to read English signs. An NPR report had noted that the Trump administration’s critics say that there is no evidence that foreign-born truckers are any more dangerous than their native-born counterparts.US news reports have highlighted how long-haul trucking was a viable career option for Sikh Americans for the longest time but following the Trump administration’s often unjustified crackdown, has led to concern and fears in the community.The Wire has reached out to the US embassy in New Delhi and the Ministry of External Affairs for their comments.The Sikh Coalition has posted on X against the move:Twenty-five years after 9/11, Sikhs are *still* being targeted and profiled for how we look.Millions of Sikhs in the United States have the last name Singh, which means lion. We remain fearless in identifying as Sikhs—even when our government portrays us as enemies.The Hindu American Foundation has also taken a dim view of the anti-Indian profiling.“Singhs” are Hindu, they are Sikhs, they are American and they drive.Racist, un-American, anti-Indian profiling/trolling by @DHSgov should shock our nation’s collective conscience.Maybe we’re becoming too used to this hate, but are @Hasbro @takaratomytoys @ParamountPics ok with Transformers being appropriated like this?@HarmeetKDhillon @CivilRights, this is a discriminatory post by a federal agency that is far beyond political messaging, and we welcome an investigation. @FBIDirectorKash, take note.Michigan Democrat Ranjeev Singh Puri has released a statement on the messaging, saying:As a proud Sikh-American, my middle name is Singh. So are my sons’. It is not a punchline, it is a surname carried proudly by millions of Sikhs worldwide, generations of whom have served this nation, built businesses, and strengthened the fabric of our democracy. Our faith calls us to stand against injustice and practice seva; selfless service for the betterment of all.When an official government agency mocks people for their name, their faith, or how they look, that is not strength. It is xenophobia dressed up as public policy. This rhetoric only divides us and distracts from the real challenges Americans need their government to solve.Note: This report has been updated with the news on the deletion of the tweet.