An Indian-origin immigration lawyer is facing a proposed civil penalty of more than $470,000, around Rs 4 crore, after US authorities accused him of filing fraudulent asylum claims on behalf of clients in dozens of immigration cases, according to the US department of homeland Security (DHS).
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In a statement issued on Thursday, DHS said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) had served a Notice of Intent to Fine attorney Suraj Raj Singh, alleging that he prepared and filed 118 fraudulent documents across 54 immigration cases.
According to DHS, Singh runs a nationwide immigration practice, largely representing Indian nationals seeking asylum before US immigration courts.
The department alleged that, in support of asylum applications, Singh submitted declarations that were "identical or nearly identical in language and substance", containing "the same or nearly the same factual narrative and supporting details regarding the claimed persecution."
ICE is seeking the maximum civil penalty permitted under US law, amounting to $470,584, the department said.
DHS general counsel James Percival said the administration had made its position on immigration fraud clear.
"We have been abundantly clear – if immigration attorneys commit fraud for their clients, the attorneys will be fined. This week, we issued a fine notice to Suraj Raj Singh totalling over USD 470,000. This attorney filed 118 fraudulent documents," Percival said, according to news agency PTI.
He added, "Fraudulent asylum claims threaten the safety of the American people, undermine our immigration system, and delay the removal of dangerous criminal illegal aliens."
In a separate statement released on the DHS website, Percival said, "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."
The first case was announced in June, when ICE issued five Notices of Intent to Fine against attorney Vinod Doddamani, seeking a total of $255,232 in penalties for alleged immigration document fraud.
The notice of intent to fine issued against Singh is not a final finding of liability.
