New York, October 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
UNITED SIKHS and leading national civil rights organisations have called for an independent investigation into a now-deleted social media post published by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the message misused federal public communications to stigmatise Sikh and South Asian communities.
On September 25, 2026, UNITED SIKHS and several civil rights organisations filed a joint administrative complaint with the US Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG), demanding an investigation into the department’s public affairs communications and the post published through its official @DHSgov account.
The post featured an AI-generated image of a South Asian Sikh man labelled “Mr. Singh” alongside the phrases “Self-deport or find out” and “Get off our roads”. It drew widespread criticism from Sikh, Hindu and Indian American communities, civil rights advocates and elected leaders.
The organisations said the use of the surname “Singh”, which holds deep religious and cultural significance for Sikhs worldwide, in such messaging was discriminatory and amounted to the misuse of public resources to target a religious minority and stigmatise Sikh and South Asian communities.
Although DHS removed the post following public backlash, the organisations argued that its deletion alone did not provide accountability for the alleged misuse of government resources, address the harm caused or guarantee safeguards against similar incidents in the future.
The joint complaint was co-signed by UNITED SIKHS, Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast, which represents 84 gurdwaras, the American Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee, the Human Rights Council of the World Sikh Parliament, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the Sikh Coalition and the South Asian American Justice Collaborative (SAAJCO).
The coalition has called for an independent investigation into the development and approval of the post, accountability for any misconduct by DHS personnel or contractors, and binding safeguards to prevent the future misuse of federal public communications.
The complaint also seeks protections against discriminatory and inflammatory government messaging targeting vulnerable communities, a public retraction acknowledging the harm caused, and corrective action through engagement with civil rights stakeholders.
The organisations said the controversy highlighted concerns about government messaging that, in their view, weaponises stereotypes and religious identity markers, misrepresents federal data and undermines constitutional protections.
The coalition stressed that removing the post was not sufficient to resolve the matter. It called for a full investigation, accountability for any wrongdoing and measures to ensure that federal agencies do not use official public platforms to stigmatise protected communities.
UNITED SIKHS and its civil rights partners reaffirmed their commitment to defending civil rights, religious freedom and the dignity of communities facing prejudice. They said they would continue to press for transparency, corrective action and systemic reforms to uphold justice and equal protection under the law.
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