MAGA turns on its own: Trump’s Sikh lawyer faces racist fury after defending immigrant truckers

Harmeet Kaur Dhillon

Harmeet Dhillon, a California attorney and head of the civil rights division in the Trump administration’s Department of Justice, is facing a wave of racist attacks from far-right supporters after she urged Americans not to target Sikh and Indian-origin truck drivers, following a pair of fatal accidents involving members of the community.

According to multiple US media reports, Dhillon, a prominent Republican and longtime Trump ally, condemned California’s “absurd coddling of illegal aliens” but cautioned against blanket discrimination. “Those responsible for these tragedies must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” she wrote on X. “Unfortunately, in the fog of outrage, some are using these tragedies as an opportunity to attack law-abiding Sikhs and Indian-origin drivers, simply because of who they are.”

Dhillon warned that federal law prohibits discrimination based on race, colour, religion, or national origin, adding that her office “will aggressively prosecute or pursue justice against those engaged in such discrimination.”

Many of you have probably seen the news in the last few months of two illegal aliens causing horrific tragedies on American roadways while behind the wheel of large commercial trucks.

These individuals obtained commercial driver’s licenses in California due to the State’s…

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) October 27, 2025

Dhillon’s experience mirrors that of other Indian-American Trump loyalists, including Kash Patel, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Dinesh D’Souza, who have also faced racist abuse from Trump supporters online. Patel’s recent Diwali message, for instance, drew slurs such as “go back to India” and “worship your sand demons,” highlighting the nativist undercurrents even within Trump’s political base.

Trucking accidents fuel anti-immigrant anger
The backlash comes after two fatal trucking accidents involving Sikh drivers sparked anti-immigrant outrage online. Despite data from the American Trucking Association (ATA) showing the U.S. faces a driver shortage of roughly 60,000, a figure projected to reach 160,000 by 2030, MAGA activists argue immigrant drivers are “undercutting” wages and taking jobs from native-born Americans.

The ATA attributes the shortage to long working hours, extended time away from family, and difficult working conditions that discourage Americans from taking up long-haul trucking. The group warns that without immigrant drivers, the country risks worsening supply chain disruptions, rising shipping costs, and safety risks from overworked drivers.

Yet, for now, those concerns have been drowned out by nativist anger. As the debate intensifies, Dhillon, once celebrated in conservative circles, finds herself at the centre of a culture war that is testing the limits of loyalty and identity inside the MAGA movement.