The American government is set to strip the US citizenship of a previously naturalised Indian taxi-cab driver, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
As per a news release dated February 2, 2026 and a DOJ complaint accessible online, a denaturalization action was filed against Gurmeet Singh in the Eastern District of New York. The native of India landed in the US government’s crosshairs after concealing and misrepresenting facts in his naturalization application.
Why Indian taxi driver Gurmeet Singh is under fire
According to the official complaint, Gurmeet Singh had previously kidnapped and sexually assaulted a then-26-year-old female passenger of his taxicab in 2011. Months later, when he appeared for his naturalization interview, he lied under oath when asked if he had ever committed a crime for which he hadn’t been arrested.
On May 6, 2011, Singh picked up a woman passenger who then fell asleep in the backseat of the cab. When she awoke, she found the Indian national on top of her with a knife against her throat, as he threatened her to stop resisting if she wanted to live.
As per the official report, Singh then went on to gag and blindfold her, and raped her.
In January 2012, the New York City Police Department arrested Singh for multiple criminal offences, including Rape in the First Degree. Over two weeks later, an indictment was filed against him, as he was charged with multiple counts of criminal offenses, including: Rape in the First Degree, and Kidnapping in the Second Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony.
Two years later, a jury found Singh guilty of those charges, which resulted in him being sentenced to two concurrent terms of imprisonment of 20 years.
US citizenship revoked: Indian-origin man’s legal status
Gurmeet Singh became a lawful permanent resident of the US on June 12, 2000. Over a decade later, he filed a Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, seeking to become a naturalized US citizen, on May 31, 2011.
The DOJ complaint details, Part 10, Section D, Question 15 of the Form N-400 asked him: “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” He checked the “No” box in response.
Thereafter, another question asked: “Have you ever given false or misleading information to any U.S. Government official while applying for any immigration benefit or to prevent deportation, exclusion, or removal?” Here, too, he replied, “No.”
Months later in October that year, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services placed him under oath and interviewed him about his naturalization application and eligibility. Under oath, he falsely swore at the time that he had never committed a crime for which he was not arrested.
“Based on Defendant’s written responses on his Form N-400 and his sworn testimony at the interview, USCIS approved Defendant’s naturalization application on October 3, 2011,” the complaint states. Over two weeks later, he took the oath of allegiance and was issued a Certificate of Naturalization on October 19, 2011.
As per the Immigration and Nationality Act, the court may revoke an order of naturalization and cancel the Certificate of Naturalization if his naturalization was “illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation,” the complaint added.
The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly reiterated that officials will strip citizenship from those who commit heinous crimes and conceal them during the naturalization process. “American citizenship is a great and sacred privilege that must be earned honestly,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said, as quoted in the DOJ news release.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, on the other hand, said, “Singh entered our country through family-based immigration laws, then committed horrible crimes before lying about them to become a US citizen. We will now correct this injustice.”