Justice Department Secures Denaturalization of Convicted Rapist from India

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York entered judgment revoking the naturalization of convicted rapist Gurmeet Singh.

"American citizenship is not a shield for criminals," said Attorney General Todd Blanche. "Gurmeet Singh, a convicted rapist from India, is no longer a U.S. citizen. He concealed a rape and kidnapping during the naturalization process, and a federal court has now revoked his citizenship. This Department took this case across the finish line, and we will continue to move expeditiously on denaturalization referrals. Fraudulently obtained citizenship will not protect criminals from justice."

"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 denaturalization 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.

A native of India, Singh entered the United States in February 1992 as a visitor for a temporary period not to exceed six months. He then remained in the United States without authorization for years until a family-based immigrant visa petition allowed him to become a permanent resident in June 2000.

In May 2011 - mere weeks before he filed his application to naturalize 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 naturalization proceedings, leading to his becoming a U.S. citizen on Oct. 19, 2011. After naturalizing, 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 Aug. 26 order revoking Singh's naturalization follows a complaint the Justice Department filed on Feb. 2.

This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla of the Civil Division's Office of Immigration Litigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Layaliza Soloveichik for the Eastern District of New York.