A Utah license plate reading “DEPORTM” has sparked outrage across social media after a local high school teacher, Matt Pacenza, posted a photo of it on Twitter and questioned how it was ever approved.

Many users interpreted the message as xenophobic and offensive, leading to intense backlash and renewed scrutiny of the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles’ approval process for custom plates.

The Utah DMV confirmed that the plate was originally issued in 2015, despite rules meant to block offensive or discriminatory language. DMV spokesperson Tammy Kikuchi acknowledged the approval was a mistake and admitted the process had failed in this case.

The incident drew swift bipartisan criticism. Republican State Senator Daniel Thatcher and Democratic State Senator Luz Escamilla both condemned the plate, calling for better safeguards to prevent similar oversights in the future.