United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking more than $470,000 in civil penalties against a New York-based Indian-origin immigration lawyer, Suraj Raj Singh, over allegations that he filed fraudulent asylum documents on behalf of dozens of clients, most of them Indian nationals.

The United States Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE, through its investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations, issued a Notice of Intent to Fine against Singh on July 28, 2026.

According to DHS, Singh runs a nationwide immigration practice based in New York City and mainly represents Indian nationals seeking asylum before immigration courts.

The agency alleged that Singh prepared and filed 118 fraudulent documents across 54 immigration cases, claiming that the asylum declarations submitted in support of his clients’ applications were “identical or nearly identical in language and substance.”

DHS said the documents allegedly contained the same or substantially similar factual narratives and supporting details regarding the persecution claimed by the asylum applicants.

ICE is seeking the maximum permissible civil penalty of $470,584, estimated at about Rs 4 crore, under 8 U.S.C. § 1324c(d), a federal provision dealing with immigration-related document fraud.

DHS General Counsel James Percival said the action was part of the Trump administration’s wider effort to crack down on alleged asylum fraud.

“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.

“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,” he added.

However, a Notice of Intent to Fine is only a proposed civil enforcement action. It gives the recipient an opportunity to respond before any financial penalty becomes final.

The allegations against Singh have not been adjudicated in court, and the notice does not amount to a final finding of wrongdoing.

The action against Singh comes amid an ongoing crackdown by the Trump administration on alleged fraud in the asylum system.

In March 2025, President Donald Trump issued a memorandum directing the Justice Department to pursue sanctions against immigration attorneys accused of professional misconduct, saying some lawyers were helping to fuel “rampant fraud and meritless claims” in immigration proceedings.

In May, DHS directed ICE to begin pursuing enforcement actions against immigration attorneys accused of document fraud in asylum-related matters.

Under federal law, persons accused of immigration document fraud may seek a hearing before an administrative law judge and may also pursue judicial review.

DHS said Singh’s case marks only the second time the department has sought civil penalties against an immigration attorney under the federal civil document fraud provision.

The first case was in June, when ICE issued five Notices of Intent to Fine against California-based, India-born immigration attorney Vinod Doddamani, seeking a combined $255,232 in civil penalties over allegations that he filed fraudulent asylum claims on behalf of Indian clients.

The latest action shows the administration’s growing scrutiny of immigration lawyers and asylum applications, particularly cases involving allegedly repeated or similar claims of persecution filed on behalf of multiple clients.

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