U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving to impose more than $470,000 in civil penalties on a New York-based immigration lawyer, alleging he filed fraudulent paperwork for asylum seekers and submitted over 100 documents that repeated strikingly similar stories of persecution.
Homeland Security Investigations said it served a notice of intent to fine attorney Suraj Raj Singh, whose national immigration law practice largely represents Indian nationals pursuing asylum in U.S. immigration courts, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
ICE claims Singh drafted and submitted 118 allegedly fraudulent documents tied to 54 separate immigration cases.
Federal officials are seeking the highest fine allowed in the matter: $470,584.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
DHS said the asylum declarations filed for Singh’s clients were “identical or nearly identical in language and substance,” with repeated or substantially matching accounts and supporting details describing alleged persecution.
“Fraudulent asylum claims threaten the safety of the American people, undermine our immigration system and delay the removal of dangerous criminal illegal aliens,” DHS General Counsel James 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.”
A notice of intent to fine is a proposed civil enforcement action that allows the recipient an opportunity to respond before any penalty becomes final.
DHS ISSUES $84B IN FINES TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNDER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
A U.S. Department Of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection sign is displayed at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Headquarters May 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
The action is the latest step in the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on alleged asylum fraud. In May, Percival directed DHS attorneys to pursue additional enforcement actions targeting fraudulent asylum claims.
DHS said the Singh case marks the second time the department has sought civil penalties against an immigration attorney under 8 U.S.C. § 1324c(d), which authorizes fines for immigration-related document fraud.
ICE seeks a $470,584 fine against attorney Suraj Raj Singh, alleging he filed 118 fraudulent documents across 54 asylum cases using nearly identical claims. (iStock)
Last month, ICE issued five notices of intent to fine against attorney Vinod Doddamani, seeking a combined $255,232 in civil penalties over alleged immigration document fraud.
INC News has reached out to Singh for comment.
