Authorities allege Harinder Singh concealed an earlier deportation order and immigration history before obtaining a Green Card and US citizenship
US authorities have launched a civil case seeking to revoke the US citizenship of an Indian-born man accused of using different identities and concealing his previous immigration history.
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas announced the case against Harinder Singh, also known as Harinder Singh Sanghera and Rushpal Singh, on August 12. The investigation was supported by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
According to the complaint, US immigration authorities first encountered Singh at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport in 1991, when he identified himself as Rushpal Singh. An immigration judge ordered him deported in August 1995, although authorities said they have no record that he left the country under that order.
The government alleges that Singh subsequently applied for an immigration benefit in June 1996 using the name Harinder Singh. Officials claim the application contained different information about his date of birth, date of entry into the US and the basis of his immigration claim.
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The application was approved, and Singh obtained lawful permanent resident status, or a Green Card, in October 2000 under the Harinder Singh identity
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He later became a naturalised US citizen in 2008, authorities said
Prosecutors allege that he failed to disclose his earlier immigration history under the Rushpal Singh identity when applying for naturalisation.
Under the US Immigration and Nationality Act, naturalised citizenship can be revoked if it was obtained unlawfully or through concealment of a material fact or deliberate misrepresentation. However, the filing does not automatically strip Singh of citizenship. The government must establish its case through the legal process.
The case highlights the importance of providing accurate and consistent identity and immigration information throughout applications for US immigration benefits, permanent residence and citizenship.
