Washington, Jul 30 (PTI) The US has imposed a fine of USD 4.7 lakh on an Indian origin lawyer for allegedly filing false asylum claims on behalf of his clients, a statement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Thursday.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) claimed to have found that attorney Suraj Raj Singh prepared and filed 118 fraudulent documents in 54 immigration cases seeking asylum.
“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,” DHS General Counsel James Percival said in a statement.
The statement said that Singh, in support of the asylum claims, 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.
“Fraudulent asylum claims threaten the safety of the American people, undermine our immigration system, and delay the removal of dangerous criminal illegal aliens,” Percival said.
In May, Percival had announced additional steps to crack down on fraudulent asylum claims.
In June, ICE issued five Notices of Intent to Fine to Attorney Vinod Doddamani, for a total of USD 255,232 in fines. PTI SKU AMS
