Federal immigration investigators allege an attorney with a nationwide practice recycled nearly identical stories of persecution across dozens of asylum cases, filing 118 fraudulent documents and prompting ICE to seek a $470,584 fine.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations issued a Notice of Intent to Fine against attorney Suraj Raj Singh on July 28, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday. Singh operates a nationwide practice that primarily represents clients from India seeking asylum before immigration courts, according to DHS.
ICE says declarations filed for Singh’s clients were “identical or nearly identical in language and substance,” repeating the same or nearly the same factual narratives and supporting details about alleged persecution.
The notice covers 54 immigration cases. When combined with a June action against another immigration attorney, ICE has now proposed $725,816 in civil fines over 182 allegedly fraudulent documents across 86 cases.
The alleged copy-paste pattern
DHS General Counsel James Percival described the Singh action as part of a broader effort to protect the integrity of the nation’s asylum system.
“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 the release. “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.”
Percival sharpened that message on X: “This attorney filed 118 fraudulent documents. Before President Trump came along, attorneys like this just got away with it!”
The agency is seeking the maximum penalty permitted under the statute. A Notice of Intent to Fine is a proposed civil enforcement action, not a final finding. Federal regulations allow a recipient to contest the allegations before a penalty becomes final. The DHS announcement did not include a response from Singh.
First case brought a $255K notice
ICE announced its first such action in June, issuing five Notices of Intent to Fine against attorney Vinod Doddamani. The agency alleges he prepared and filed 64 fraudulent documents across 32 immigration cases, also using identical or nearly identical declarations. ICE is seeking the maximum combined penalty of $255,232.
Doddamani denied wrongdoing in a call with Fox News Digital and said DHS had the wrong person. He blamed “a rogue employee” and his “office manager” for the filings.
Together, the Singh and Doddamani notices seek $725,816 over 182 documents in 86 cases. DHS has not alleged that the two attorneys worked together.
A wider asylum enforcement push
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, DHS directed ICE in May to expand enforcement against allegedly fraudulent asylum claims and the attorneys who file them.
The directive instructed ICE to develop anti-fraud policies under a federal law that prohibits knowingly preparing, filing or using certain false immigration documents and authorizes civil penalties and administrative hearings.
The policy followed a March 2025 White House memorandum in which President Donald Trump accused parts of the immigration bar and major pro bono practices of coaching asylum clients to conceal their histories or lie about their circumstances. The memorandum directed the attorney general and the DHS secretary to prioritize enforcement of attorney conduct and discipline rules.
The fines also follow broader asylum-related vetting changes. In December, DX reported that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services cut the maximum validity of many work permits from five years to 18 months, including for refugees, people granted asylum and applicants with pending asylum cases. USCIS said the shorter cycle would require more frequent background checks.
Provided by Dallas Express
