US: President Trump aide Harmeet Dhillon faces racist abuse from MAGA supporters over defence of immigrant truck drivers

California attorney Harmeet Dhillon, who is a prominent Republican, has urged Americans not to target law-abiding Indians and Sikh drivers in the wake of the road mishaps.

She wrote on X: "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 absurd coddling of illegal aliens, putting all drivers and their occupants on the roads at risk. There are thousands of these instances," she said.

She said: "Those responsible for these tragedies must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law; and the systems in place that allowed these illegal aliens to enter our country and get behind the wheel of these dangerous machines must be completely overhauled."

Urging restraint, the Republican said: "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."

She said: "Many of these law-abiding Sikhs and Indian-origin Americans are hard-working and patriotic. Most were born here or immigrated here lawfully. They are our neighbours, our friends, and provide a legal and vital service. They believe in the American dream, and the rule of law upon which that dream was built."

The Republican further said: "These Americans are not responsible for the actions of the two reckless men behind the wheels of those trucks, and they must not shoulder the blame for the tragedies those men caused."

"It is illegal under federal law to discriminate against individuals or attack or violently threaten them because of their race, colour, religion, or national origin. The @CivilRights will aggressively prosecute or pursue justice against those engaged in such discrimination," she said.

She allegedly faced backlash in the X comment section from suspected MAGA supporters.

One of them said: "Harmeet, someone else should have written your post. It sounds too ethnic and biased coming from an American of Indian ancestry. You are too close."

Another said: "This is a pathetic response. Get rid of these people or resign."

Jashanpreet Singh is accused of killing three

She remarked and faced backlash after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in a statement, said it had lodged an arrest detainer for Jashanpreet Singh, a "criminal illegal alien from India", responsible for taking the lives of three individuals and injuring several more in a DUI accident in San Bernardino County, California.

On October 22, ICE lodged an immigration detainer for Jashanpreet Singh following his arrest by local authorities in San Bernardino County, California, on charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence. Dash camera footage captured the crash.

ICE said Singh first entered the U.S. in 2022 through the southern border and was released into the country under the Biden administration.