The AI-generated post, shared by the official DHS account on X amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, uses characters from the Transformers franchise. The post also carries the message: “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr Singh”, drawing further criticism over its reference to the common Indian and Sikh surname.

The campaign is part of the administration’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration and immigrant truck drivers. “If you approach this nation with hostile intent, know this.

We will defend ourselves. We will defend Americanism.

We will defend our home,” the DHS said in an X post. “‘Singhs’ are Hindu, they are Sikhs, they are American and they drive.

“This is a discriminatory post by a federal agency that is far beyond political messaging, and we welcome an investigation,” the foundation said, tagging Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K Dhillon and FBI Director Kash Patel. “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,” it added. The controversy comes as the DHS promotes its CBP Home programme, which allows eligible undocumented migrants to register their intention to voluntarily leave the United States.

The campaign's focus on commercial drivers comes amid a broader US crackdown on undocumented migrants working in the trucking industry.