ICE Pursues Significant Fines Against Attorney for Alleged Asylum Document Fraud

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is pursuing civil fines exceeding $470,000 against a New York immigration attorney. The attorney, Suraj Raj Singh, faces accusations of submitting fraudulent documents to support asylum claims for numerous clients.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reported that Singh, whose practice largely manages cases for Indian nationals seeking asylum, allegedly filed over 100 similar documents. A statement from Homeland Security Investigations outlined the notice of intent to fine Singh $470,584. This figure represents the maximum allowable fine for such offenses.

“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.

This notice enables Singh to respond before any sanctions become official. The Trump administration has intensified efforts to tackle asylum fraud, as evidenced by recent actions against immigration attorneys, including Singh. In one example, last month, civil penalties totaling $255,232 were sought against attorney Vinod Doddamani for similar allegations.

The measure against Singh marks the second instance DHS has pursued civil penalties against an immigration attorney for document fraud under 8 U.S.C. § 1324c(d).