US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced its decision to seek a fine of more than $470,000 against an Indian-origin immigration attorney who allegedly filed false asylum claims on behalf of his clients. The federal agency, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), identified the man at the centre of the case as Attorney Suraj Raj Singh in a Notice of Intent to Fine dated July 28, according to the official DHS website.
Accusations against Indian-origin immigration attorney Suraj Raj Singh
US authorities confirmed that Singh has a nationwide practice. Through it, he mostly represents Indian immigrants and seeks asylum on their behalf before the Immigration Court. However, ICE’s findings suggested that in the 54 immigration cases the Indian-origin lawyer is representing, he allegedly filed 118 fraudulent documents.
According to ICE, Suraj Raj Singh filed “identical or nearly identical” declarations in 54 immigration cases containing “the same or nearly the same factual narrative and supporting details regarding the claimed persecution.”
As a consequence of his purported violation, the US immigration agency is seeking the maximum permissible fine of $470,584.
Singh’s case fell on ICE’s radar in line with a previous directive. Back in May, Homeland Security sounded the alarm on taking additional steps to crack down on asylum fraud, foregrounding that immigration attorneys often “coach” their clients “to conceal their past and even outright lie in their asylum claims.” As a result, DHS instructed ICE to develop anti-fraud policies enforcing a law that established penalties for document fraud violations.
In light of Singh’s accusations, DHS General Counsel James Percival said, “Fraudulent asylum claims threaten the safety of the American people, undermine our immigration system, and delay the removal of dangerous criminal illegal aliens. “ICE is seeking a fine of more than $470,000 from attorney Suraj Raj Singh. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, we will hold attorneys like this accountable and put an end to the practice of defrauding and abusing our immigration system.”
What more do we know about the Indian-origin attorney?
His LinkedIn profile says he handles “all kinds of immigration and corporation matters,” Reuters reported. It further confirms that Singh, who was born in India, eventually immigrated to the US for higher education. Having pursued a BA LLB in Law at Haryana’s Maharshi Dayanand University, he completed his Master of Law, Transactional Business Practice, at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California.
While Suraj Raj Singh’s case marks the second such development tied to the DHS’ crackdown on fraud asylum claims, the first one, in June, also involved a lawyer of Indian origin.
At the time, ICE issued five Notices of Intent to Fine to Attorney Vino Doddamani, for fines worth a total of $255,232. Like Singh, he too mostly represents Indian nationals. Doddamani is said to have filed 64 fraudulent documents across 32 immigration cases, according to the DHS.
The Donald Trump administration has endlessly warned against immigration scams and fraud. Non-profit newsroom ProPublica found that complaints of immigration scams have doubled since Trump returned to office.
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