DHS Deletes Optimus Prime Post Amid Hasbro Anger, Racism Accusation
Summary
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removed a social media post that featured the character Optimus Prime and linked a Sikh man to a deadly traffic incident. The post faced criticism for being racist and targeting the Sikh community, leading to backlash from lawmakers and public figures.Key Facts
- DHS posted an image styled like a Transformers movie poster, showing Optimus Prime and a Sikh man named Harjinder Singh.
- The image included text telling people to "self-deport or find out," referring to illegal immigration and traffic safety.
- Harjinder Singh was involved in a 2025 traffic crash in Florida that killed three people after making an illegal U-turn.
- Singh had entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2018 and had a commercial driver’s license from California.
- Singh pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular homicide and manslaughter and was denied bond.
- The post was deleted after lawmakers, including Senator Adam Schiff and Congresswoman Grace Meng, called it racist and harmful to the Sikh community.
- Hasbro, owner of the Transformers brand, also objected to the use of Optimus Prime’s image in the DHS post.
- Following the crash, work visas for foreign commercial truck drivers were paused temporarily.
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