The United States is witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-India rhetoric and hostility, particularly across online spaces. Indians, and especially Hindus, have increasingly found themselves in the crosshairs of white supremacist and neo-Nazi sections of the MAGA movement, who have gone beyond attacking the community to mocking its faith, traditions and culture.
However, what makes the situation even more unsettling is that the racism is no longer confined to some corners of the internet and appears to have found an echo within the highest levels of the Trump administration itself. Now, key government departments are openly fostering an environment where such sentiments can flourish instead of being firmly confronted.
A similar incident occurred on 9th September (Wednesday) when the US Department of Homeland Security shared an AI-generated picture designed to resemble a movie poster for the popular “Transformers” movie series. It was named “Transformers: America for Americans” and displayed an imposing Transformer with Homeland Security’s seal against a brown and bearded Indian man wearing a head covering. The poster warned, “Self deport or find out,” and further read, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh.”
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 9, 2026
The poster was accompanied by a popular scene from the franchise featuring its villain and had been altered to include the names of some accused of Indian descent. The move, unsurprisingly, triggered a wave of outrage within the Indian community, with many calling out the federal department for acting as a mouthpiece for racists. However, a similarly revealing occurrence took place simultaneously in the aftermath.
The post did not merely take aim at Indians. It specifically singled out Sikhs, reducing an entire community to the crude stereotype of bad drivers. Yet, as the controversy unfolded, those who are otherwise quick to speak out for Khalistan and claim persecution to denounce India on global platforms maintained a conspicuous silence.
Even the loudest Khalistani voices within the Trump administration, particularly Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, who routinely invoke victimhood to target India, chose to look the other way when their own community was subjected to such a blatant racial attack. Notably, these separatists have sought asylum in Western countries, including the United States, by asserting persecution at the hands of the Indian government and presenting these nations as havens from the alleged atrocities they endured back home.
However, the irony is hard to miss. Those who have repeatedly portrayed the West as their refuge have suddenly decided to remain silent when they experienced xenophobic aggression from the upper echelons of government, which they intended to leverage to undermine India’s international standing.
Indian community pushes back against the racist post
The upload understandably sparked outrage within the Indian American community, many of whom reacted strongly to the deeply offensive and disgraceful move by Homeland Security. Hindu American Foundation wrote, “Singhs are Hindu, they are Sikhs, they are American, and they drive. Racist, un-American, anti-Indian profiling/trolling by the DHS should shock our nation’s collective conscience.”
It inquired whether the filmmakers were comfortable with their cinematic work being utilised for such purposes and even tagged Harmeet Dhillon along with other accounts to seek accountability regarding the reprehensible action.
“Singhs” are Hindu, they are Sikhs, they are American and they drive.
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) September 10, 2026
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… https://t.co/jk0F0ahrMD
Kushal Mehra blamed Khalistanis for the growing racism in the United States.
This racism is in you Khalistanis https://t.co/mqzQ4iSbbJ
— कुशल मेहरा (@kushal_mehra) September 9, 2026
Another user responded that the Trump administration has shifted from enforcing immigration laws to openly propagating against Indian people. He remarked, “This is the language and imagery being attached to the power of the US Department of Homeland Security. A federal government humiliating an ethnic group with racial stereotypes is not America First.” He referred to it as “state sponsored bigotry.”
The Trump administration has crossed from immigration enforcement into outright anti Indian racial propaganda.
— Sidharth (@Cloudwatch199) September 10, 2026
This is the language and imagery being attached to the power of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
A federal government humiliating an ethnic group with racial… https://t.co/23o0DhmtAU
CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) told the department to impose the law rather than indulge in a “caricature” of individuals. It highlighted, “Dangerous drivers come from all backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths and last names. Singling out some last names does nothing for safe streets, but it does endanger the safety of hundreds of thousands of Americans with names like Singh and Kumar.”
According to the advocacy group, an act by the official US Government portraying a brown person as “foreign” and “un-American” effectively opens the door for the targeting of Hindus and Indian Americans, even those who are legal residents and citizens. “Especially ironic to see the transformers used to stereotype and put a target on the backs of vulnerable communities and individuals. Stop stigmatising millions of law-abiding Hindu, Sikh and Indian Americans,” it appealed.
Enforce the law. Do not caricature a people. @DHSgov Dangerous drivers come from all backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths and last names.
— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) September 10, 2026
Singling out SOME last names does nothing for safe streets, but it does endanger the safety of hundreds of thousands of Americans with names like… https://t.co/kQQXLUNTlr
Fox 7 Austin anchor Alec Nolan mentioned that his family surname is Singh and his father arrived in America from India several decades ago in pursuit of 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,” the journalist stated, adding that the “post is racist and demeaning to anyone with the last name Singh.”
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
Transformers are extraterrestrial metal lifeforms who have arrived from another planet, but in a twist of irony, they are being employed by the Trump administration to promote racist rhetoric against Indians in the US. Some jokes, as cruel as they might be, truly write themselves.
Harmeet Dhillon turns a blind eye to the racial attack
While the Indian community and others rightly questioned the Department of Homeland Security, Harmeet Dhillon, a close confidante of President Donald Trump and the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the US Department of Justice, decided to completely ignore the repulsive exhibit of racism.
Interestingly, she also encountered similar attacks after performing a Sikh prayer to conclude the Republican National Convention in 2024. However, she chose to enjoy the attention instead of opposing the bigotry associated with Trump’s preferred support group. Therefore, her silence following the recent incident is rather predictable.
On the other hand, Dhillon’s approach has often appeared markedly different when the subject is India, where she has been often accused of endorsing Punjab’s secession. She has inflated every trivial or non-significant matter into a major propaganda opportunity or conjured controversies out of thin air to peddle her anti-India narrative while sympathising with and assisting Khalistanis living in the US.
Her position on the killing of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the ensuing barrage of unfounded charges made by then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the clearest evidence of her pro-Khalistan inclination. “Canada’s conservative leader joins other Canadian officials in condemning the extrajudicial murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. It’s good to see them unite against this shocking act,” she wrote after the country’s opposition leader Pierre Poilievre sided with Trudeau.
Dhillon also cited an article from the controversial British media house “The Economist” about how Indian migrants were promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s domestic campaign and international lobbying efforts. She reiterated unproven accusations that New Delhi is killing critics in the diaspora, referencing the report. She charged that the Modi government was operating “death squads” in both the US and Canada.
Dhillon regularly points to unreliable reports to argue that human rights violations are taking place in India, specially in Punjab, to reinforce the Khalistani narrative.
Furthermore, she demonstrated her Hinduphobia by using caste rhetoric against the Democratic leader Kamala Harris. Dhillon reacted to the pronunciation of her name and insisted that she emphasises the second syllable, making it Kamala instead of Camala as it is known in India. “She comes from a high-caste Brahmin family. Her mother is a Brahmin,” she stated while talking to another white supremacist Tucker Carlson.
Of course, Dhillon even keeps the company of like-minded individuals who possess a mutual disdain for India and Hindus. John-Paul S. Deol, her former law firm partner, was caught dog-whistling against Siddhartha Patel, the Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office last year.
He made highly disparaging remarks against Lord Shiva over a tweet condemning terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in relation to a “The Wire” article in 2023. “There is no civilization sadder and backward than pagan Lindu,” he wrote in another post on social media in that year. Deol demonised the Vedas and associated them with caste. He has also been one the ardent supporters of the anti-caste bill in the US that targets Hindus.
Conclusion
It has become increasingly apparent that Khalistani figures such as Dhillon are opportunists of the highest order. Their sole focus is on their agenda against India, and they are prepared to betray the sensitive concerns of their community members which they assert to champion. The recent event has not only revealed the ugly truths about the US government but have also exposed the claims of this Khalistani faction.
The post has further deepened the unease already felt among Indians, particularly Hindus, in the US. However, Khalistanis who have spent years denigrating India on American soil have found themselves subjected to the same kind of racial stereotyping and othering. In many ways, the chickens appear to have come home to roost for this anti-India faction.
Meanwhile, those who have endorsed the separatist cause, including Dhillon, seem noticeably unwilling to stand up for the very people they profess to represent.
