WASHINGTON – The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced its intention to pursue a fine of more than $470,000 against an immigration attorney who allegedly filed false asylum claims on behalf of his clients.
On July 28, HSI announced a Notice of Intent to Fine against Attorney Suraj Raj Singh, who has a nationwide practice in which he mostly represents Indian aliens and seeks asylum on their behalf before the Immigration Court. In support of the asylum claims, he files alien declarations that are identical or nearly identical in language and substance, containing the same or nearly the same factual narrative and supporting details regarding the claimed persecution.
In total, the notice of intent to fine represents 54 immigration cases in which ICE alleges that Attorney Singh prepared and filed 118 fraudulent documents. ICE is seeking the maximum permissible fine: $470,584.
“Fraudulent asylum claims threaten the safety of the American people, undermine our immigration system, and delay the removal of dangerous criminal illegal aliens,” said DHS General Counsel James Percival. “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 announcement is in line with a prior directive by DHS General Counsel James Percival in May to take additional steps to crack down on fraudulent asylum claims, and marks the second such issuance of fines by DHS under 8 U.S.C. § 1324c(d), civil document fraud. The first case was in June, when ICE issued five NIFs to Attorney Vinod Doddamani, for a total of $255,232 in fines.