UNITED SIKHS Calls for Civil Rights Review and Corrective Action Following DHS “Mr. Singh” Graphic
September 11, 2026
Organization welcomes removal of controversial DHS post but seeks acknowledgment, accountability and safeguards against future religious and racial stereotyping
UNITED SIKHS has formally written to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin seeking a civil-rights review and corrective action following the publication of a Department of Homeland Security social media graphic that depicted a brown, bearded man alongside an Optimus Prime character and included statements such as “America for Americans,” “Self-deport or find out,” and “Get off our roads; you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh.”
UNITED SIKHS acknowledges and welcomes DHS’s decision to remove the post. However, the organization maintains that removal alone does not fully address the broader concerns created when an official federal communication uses “Singh,” a name of profound religious and cultural significance to Sikhs around the world, in connection with stereotypes involving immigration status, dangerous driving and foreignness.
The letter raises serious concerns under the First Amendment’s protections involving religious neutrality and free exercise and the equal-protection principles applicable to the federal government through the Fifth Amendment. It also calls attention to the responsibility of federal agencies to ensure that government communications do not promote or reinforce discrimination based on religion, race, ethnicity or national origin.
In its correspondence, UNITED SIKHS asks DHS to:
- Issue a public acknowledgment and apology addressing the harm caused by the imagery and language;
- Direct an independent civil-rights review into how the graphic was created, approved, published and ultimately removed;
- Preserve relevant records and provide meaningful public findings concerning the review;
- Establish stronger prepublication civil-rights safeguards for communications involving race, religion, national origin, immigration status and religiously identifiable names or attire, including AI-generated or AI-altered content;
- Provide recurring religious-literacy and anti-bias training to relevant DHS personnel and contractors; and
- Meet with UNITED SIKHS and other Sikh civil-rights organizations to discuss safeguards against recurrence.
The letter further warns that official stereotyping can have consequences beyond social media. Sikh Americans have experienced bullying, discrimination, road rage and hate violence, including backlash and mistaken-identity attacks in the years following September 11. UNITED SIKHS expressed added concern about the timing of the incident near the anniversary of 9/11.
The correspondence was addressed to Secretary Mullin and copied through appropriate federal oversight and civil-rights channels, including the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the DHS Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. UNITED SIKHS is requesting a written response identifying the official responsible for reviewing the matter and the timetable for corrective action.
UNITED SIKHS emphasized that its request does not seek to interfere with lawful immigration enforcement or legitimate traffic-safety measures. Rather, it asks federal officials to distinguish individual conduct from an individual’s surname, perceived religion, ethnicity or national origin and to ensure that government communications uphold equal dignity and public trust.
Read the full UNITED SIKHS letter to Secretary Mullin:
