DHS Imposes Heavy Fine on Lawyer Accused of Fraudulent Asylum Claims

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has imposed a USD 470,000 civil fine on Indian-origin immigration attorney Suraj Raj Singh, accusing him of filing fraudulent asylum documents on behalf of clients in what officials described as a serious abuse of the country's immigration system.

According to a DHS statement issued on Thursday, investigators from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division found that Singh allegedly prepared and submitted 118 fraudulent documents across 54 asylum cases.

Officials claimed the filings contained striking similarities, with asylum declarations featuring identical or nearly identical language, narratives and supporting details describing alleged persecution. Investigators argued that the repeated use of substantially similar accounts raised concerns over the authenticity of the claims.

Announcing the action, DHS General Counsel James Percival said the department had made its position clear that immigration lawyers who engage in fraud on behalf of clients would face significant financial penalties.

"We have been abundantly clear — if immigration attorneys commit fraud for their clients, the attorneys will be fined," Percival said, adding that Singh had been served with a notice imposing penalties exceeding USD 470,000.

Percival further asserted that fraudulent asylum claims not only undermine the integrity of the US immigration process but also consume resources that could otherwise be used to process legitimate applications and remove individuals deemed to be in the country unlawfully.

The action forms part of the DHS's broader campaign against alleged immigration fraud. In May, Percival announced additional measures aimed at identifying and penalising fraudulent asylum filings.

The department also highlighted a similar enforcement action taken in June, when Attorney

Vinod Doddamani received five Notices of Intent to Fine, with proposed penalties totalling USD 255,232 over alleged immigration-related violations.

The DHS statement did not indicate whether Singh had responded to the allegations or challenged the proposed penalty. The case remains part of the agency's continuing enforcement drive.