- By Ajeet Kumar
- Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:45 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
- US DHS poster targets Indian-origin truck drivers.
- 'Get off our roads, Mr. Singh' sparks racism row.
- Sikh truckers face harassment amid immigration crackdown.
New Delhi: “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive, Mr. Singh,” reads a blatantly racist US government poster calling on illegal immigrants to self-deport. This was one of the worst direct targets at Indians, especially the Punjabi-origin truck drivers who have been contributing to the US economy for decades.
A controversial poster released by the US Department of Homeland Security has drawn widespread criticism for alleged racism and anti-Indian bias. Shared on X on Wednesday amid US President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown, the poster promotes self-deportation with the warning “Self-deport or find out.”
If you approach this nation with hostile intent, know this. We will defend ourselves. We will defend Americanism. We will defend our home.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 9, 2026
Report Illegal Aliens on American Roads: 866-347-2423 pic.twitter.com/gJcDPA4CTH
"Get off our roads"
Playing on the Transformers movie theme, it also carries the subtext, “Get off our roads. You don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh.” The post has triggered strong backlash online, with many branding it racist and specifically anti-Indian.
The comments came amid a series of fatal accidents involving truck drivers of Indian origin. According to an estimate, more than seven lakh Sikh truckers are driving on American roads.
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The debate over Indian-origin truck drivers was triggered after Harjinder Singh, an India-born truck driver, made a U-turn on the Florida Turnpike that authorities say caused a crash that killed three people. Reports indicated he was heavily intoxicated at the time of the crash. The video of the incident went crazy viral on the internet, triggering massive outrage against Indian-origin truckers in the US.
Trump administration facing online backlash over racist post
The post irked many who have Singh as their surname, especially Indian-origin sikhs who have settled in America. "My grandpa’s name was Dan Singh. His father, Katha Singh, came to America from India decades ago to seek a better life. He became a raisin farmer in California. My grandpa eventually took over the family business and also worked as a truck driver. This post is racist and demeaning to anyone with the last name Singh," read the post of Alec Nolan, a journalist.
My grandpa’s name was Dan Singh.
— Alec Nolan (@AlecOnFOX7) September 9, 2026
His father, Katha Singh, came to America from India decades ago to seek a better life. He became a raisin farmer in California.
My grandpa eventually took over the family business and also worked as a truck driver.
This post is racist and… https://t.co/cNMQeTo474
Michigan Democratic leader Ranjeev Singh Puri, also took to social media to slam the latest controversial post. He asserted that Singh is not a punchline; it is a surname carried proudly by millions of Sikhs worldwide."
As a proud Sikh-American, my middle name is Singh. My response to the vile post by the Department of Homeland Security. https://t.co/cmbSwSOjwa pic.twitter.com/cwa9xxJHS4
— Ranjeev Puri (@RanjeevPuri) September 10, 2026
Uproar over Indian truckers in US
The crash and subsequent investigations stirred arguments between Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The Trump administration said Singh should have never received a commercial driver’s license because of his immigration status and because he failed an English proficiency test after the crash. But New Mexico officials released a video of a traffic stop that showed Singh communicating in English with an officer.
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It also sparked online vitriol denigrating members of the monotheistic religion, who often covet high-paying trucking jobs that allow Sikh men to wear beards, uncut hair and turbans, news agency AP reported.
Later, three more accidents were reported within two months of the first fatal crash that went viral on social media.
Sikhs play major role in US trucking industry
Estimates of the Sikh population in the US range up to 7,50,000, with the largest concentration in California. Many work in the trucking industry and related businesses, including restaurants and trucking schools along major routes.
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The North American Punjabi Truckers Association estimates that the Sikh workforce makes up about 40% of truck driving on the West Coast and about 20% nationwide. No official figures exist, CEO Raman Dhillon said, but advocacy groups estimate about 150,000 Sikh truck drivers work in the U.S. That number could be as high as 250,000, given the high demand for drivers post-pandemic, he said.
Since the fatal crash, the association has received numerous reports of Sikh drivers being harassed. In one instance, Dhillon said, a Sikh man was ejected from an Oklahoma truck stop when he tried to take a shower.
(With inputs from PTI via AP)