Washington DC: An Indian-origin immigration lawyer in the United States is facing a civil penalty of more than $470,000 for allegedly filing fraudulent asylum applications on behalf of his clients.
Suraj Raj Singh, who handles immigration cases across the US, is accused of primarily filing asylum applications for individuals of Indian origin. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have initiated proceedings to impose a civil penalty against him.
According to the allegations, Singh prepared and filed 118 fraudulent documents across 54 immigration cases. Investigators claim he submitted asylum applications containing nearly identical language, narratives and facts on behalf of multiple clients. The persecution claims cited in petitions filed by different individuals also appeared to have been copied and pasted.
Based on the allegations, ICE is seeking the maximum civil penalty of $470,584.
DHS General Counsel James Percival said fraudulent asylum claims threaten public safety, undermine the integrity of the US immigration system and delay the removal of “dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”
He said the Trump administration would take strict action against individuals and attorneys involved in such cases, adding that abuse of the immigration system would not be tolerated.
According to DHS, the action follows a May 2026 directive calling for stricter enforcement against fraudulent asylum claims.
The case marks the second major instance in which the department has sought civil penalties against an immigration attorney over alleged asylum document fraud.
In June 2026, DHS issued a notice seeking more than $255,000 in civil penalties against another immigration attorney, Vinod Doddamani, for allegedly filing fraudulent asylum applications.
Legal proceedings against Singh are ongoing, and authorities are yet to issue a final decision on the allegations.
