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The US District Court for the Eastern District of New York has revoked the naturalisation of India-born Gurmeet Singh, a convicted rapist who concealed a rape and kidnapping during the process of obtaining US citizenship, the US Department of Justice said on Monday.
Sharing the details in a press release, the Department of Justice on Monday (local time) said that the court's August 26 judgment requires Singh to surrender his US citizenship, which the Justice Department said was obtained unlawfully by concealing serious criminal acts. "American citizenship is not a shield for criminals," US Attorney General Todd Blanche said, adding that Singh "concealed a rape and kidnapping during the naturalisation process, and a federal court has now revoked his citizenship." "Fraudulently obtained citizenship will not protect criminals from justice," Blanche said. https://x.com/AGToddBlanche/status/2094490006236565722?s=20 According to the release by the Justice Department, Singh entered the United States in February 1992 as a visitor and remained in the country without authorisation for several years. He later became a permanent resident in June 2000 through a family-based immigrant visa petition. "In May 2011 -- mere weeks before he filed his application to naturalise as a U.S. citizen -- Singh, a taxicab driver at the time, drove a female passenger who fell asleep during her ride home to a location with no witnesses. When his passenger awoke, she found Singh on top of her with a knife against her throat. He threatened her, bound and gagged her, blindfolded her, removed her clothes, and raped her. Afterwards, the victim escaped from the cab and ran to someone in the streets at dawn for help. Singh concealed these acts throughout his naturalisation proceedings, leading to his becoming a U.S. citizen on Oct. 19, 2011. After naturalising, Singh was convicted in New York of Rape in the First Degree and Kidnapping in the Second Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony and sentenced to 20 years in prison," the release said. The department said Singh concealed the criminal acts throughout his naturalisation proceedings and became a US citizen on October 19, 2011. He was later convicted in New York of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping as a sexually motivated felony and sentenced to 20 years in prison. "Singh unlawfully obtained the privileges of U.S. citizenship by concealing horrible criminal acts," said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division. "The Department will continue to protect the integrity of the citizenship process and hold accountable those who defraud our immigration system." "The Court's judgment, which requires the defendant to surrender his wrongfully obtained citizenship, sends a strong message to those who obtain citizenship through deceit, and demonstrates the Administration's resolve to pursue denaturalisation proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence," said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr for the Eastern District of New York. The Justice Department filed its denaturalisation complaint against Singh on February 2, with the August 26 order bringing the case to a conclusion. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla of the Civil Division's Office of Immigration Litigation and Assistant US Attorney Layaliza Soloveichik for the Eastern District of New York. (ANI)
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