Mr Singh is not any Sikh truck driver but Harjinder Singh, DHS says as it removes controversial post; Hasbro objects use of its characters

DHS said Mr Singh is a specific person, Harjinder Singh, the Indian truck driver behind the fatal crash in Florida in 2025.

The Department of Homeland Security removed the controversial post vilifying Sikh truck drivers but said that the criticisms were nonsensical drivel. New York Post cited a statement by the DHS amid the major row in which the department said that Mr Singh, the bearded man in the poster, was actually Harjinder Singh who caused a fatal crash killing three people because of his wrong turn on Florida’s turnpike.“Harjinder Singh is an illegal alien from India who should never have been in our country,” the statement said as reported by NYT. But the department, the NYT report said, did not give any explanation as to why it had removed the post.The controversial post showed a bearded man with a bandana facing off with Optimus Prime, a character from the Transformers franchise, depicted with the seal of the Department of Homeland Security on his armor. “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr Singh,” the accompanying text said, triggering massive backlash from the Sikh American community. Singh is a common surname in India and among the Sikhs.“The timing of the posting, around the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, drew particular criticism. After the 2001 attacks, Sikh men, who traditionally wear beards and turbans, were mistakenly targeted in numerous anti-Muslim violent incidents,” the NYT report said.

Hasbro says their permission was not taken

“Hasbro is aware of the recent posts using our characters,” the company said in a statement. “These posts were done without permission and do not represent the Transformers brand or Hasbro.”California Governor Gavin Newsom called the post ‘disgusting’ before it was deleted. “Trump’s government is trafficking in racist propaganda targeting the Sikh community,” Newsom wrote.“Hey Gavin, YOU gave him his CDL and then he killed three people with his tractor-trailer,” the department hit back.

Who is Harjinder Singh?

On August 12, 2025, Harjinder Singh was driving a tractor-trailer on Florida’s Turnpike near Fort Pierce/St. Lucie County. He allegedly made an unauthorized U-turn through a section marked “Official Use Only.” The truck ended up blocking traffic, and a minivan crashed into it. Three people in the minivan were killed. The US authorities said Singh had crossed the US-Mexico border illegally in September 2018. He subsequently lived in California and got his license in Washington and then in California. He was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide, along with immigration-related violations. He was initially held without bond. By September 2025, he had entered a not-guilty plea.