‘My grandpa’s name was Dan Singh’: Fox anchor Alec Nolan hits back at DHS post targeting ‘Mr Singh’

When Fox 7 Austin anchor Alec Nolan saw a US Department of Homeland Security post featuring a South Asian-looking truck driver identified only as “Mr Singh”, he did not see just another immigration meme. He saw his own family and condemned it.“My grandpa’s name was Dan Singh,” Nolan said in response to the controversial DHS post, recalling how his great-grandfather, Katha Singh, came to the US from India in search of a better life. Katha Singh eventually became a raisin farmer in California, while Nolan’s grandfather went on to work as a truck driver.Nolan called the DHS post “racist and demeaning to anyone with the last name Singh”.The post, shared by the official DHS account on X, used an AI-generated, “Transformers”-style poster as part of the Trump administration’s campaign encouraging undocumented immigrants to leave the US voluntarily.The poster was titled “Transformers: Age of Deportations” and showed a giant Transformer confronting a brown-skinned, bearded man wearing a head covering. Its message read: “America for Americans. Get off our roads; you don't know how to drive, Mr Singh.”The post also encouraged people to report what DHS described as “illegal aliens on American roads” and promoted the administration’s “self-deportation” message.Singh is one of the most widely recognized Sikh surnames and is also deeply embedded in the history of Sikh immigration to the US, with generations of Sikh immigrants building lives in agriculture, trucking, business and other professions.'My middle name is Singh'Michigan Democrat leader Ranjeev Puri called the post vile and said that his middle name is Singh. "As a proud Sikh-American, my middle name is Singh. So are my sons'. It is not a punchline; it is a surname carried proudly by millions of Sikhs worldwide, generations of whom have served this nation, built businesses, and strengthened the fabric of our democracy," Ranjeev said in his statement. "It is xenophobia dressed up as public policy."Who is Alex Nolan?Fox anchor Alex Nolan was born and raised in Fresno and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His career path was not always in journalism. Before moving into television news, he worked in broadcast sales for KUSA in Denver and KEYT in Santa Barbara. Nolan joined FOX 7 Austin after his time in Fresno and has since covered a wide range of Central Texas stories, including immigration, crime, politics, health and local issues. FOX 7 lists him among its current anchors and reporters.Who is Ranjeev Puri?Ranjeev Puri is an Indian-American politician who currently serves as House Democratic Leader in the Michigan House of Representatives. He represents Michigan's 24th House District, which includes most of Canton Township in Wayne County. Born in Wisconsin, Puri earned his Bachelor's degree in economics and finance from Ohio State University; MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He worked in financial consulting and later in Michigan's automotive industry. He also worked on Barack Obama's presidential campaigns and has a background in business strategy and mobilityPuri was first elected to the Michigan House in November 2020 and took office in January 2021.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.