Indian-origin man among 25 facing US citizenship revocation

The US Justice Department has launched its largest-ever coordinated denaturalisation drive, filing complaints against 25 naturalised citizens from 17 countries, including India. Among them is 65-year-old Narinder Singh, accused of using fraudulent identities since 1996 to gain US admission and citizenship in 2008.

Washington: An Indian-origin man is among 25 persons whose US citizenship is being revoked for alleged crimes ranging from falsifying identity to attempted murder and child sexual abuse, authorities said.

The US Department of Justice has filed a case against 65-year-old Narinder Singh in the District of Delaware for allegedly using a fraudulent identity to seek admission to the US.

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According to the Justice Department, Singh used two identities to gain admission to the US beginning in 1996 and naturalised as a US citizen on May 1, 2008.

The complaint alleges seven counts for his numerous misrepresentations and unlawful acts that adversely reflect his moral character.

Among the 25 persons against whom denaturalisation proceedings have been initiated are two persons of Pakistani descent – Zia Murad Bhatti and Mohd Wasif—for allegedly falsifying identity.

“US citizenship is one of our nation’s highest privileges, and it must be obtained lawfully and honestly,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement on Monday.

“The complaints announced today allege that these individuals secured naturalisation through fraud, concealment, or other unlawful conduct — including by concealing violent crimes, sexual offences against children, fraudulent identities, and other disqualifying facts,” said Blanche.

The complaints against the 25 individuals, filed between July 20 and August 3, involve naturalised US citizens who are natives of 17 countries: Pakistan, Moldova, India, Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Jamaica, Taiwan, Honduras, Cameroon, Jordan, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti and Sweden.

“Today’s filings represent the largest coordinated denaturalisation effort in Department history, but they are only the beginning. The Justice Department will continue to use every tool available to protect the integrity of the naturalisation process and the safety of the American people,” Blanche added.

The cases bring the department’s total denaturalisation filings to 123 since January 20, 2025, as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to strip citizenship from individuals it says obtained it unlawfully.

The cases span a wide range of alleged conduct that the Justice Department says should have disqualified the individuals from obtaining or keeping US citizenship.

The complaints involve allegations including attempted murder, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, marriage fraud, identity fraud, passport fraud, bank and credit card fraud, and practising medicine without a license, among other offences.

“Today marks the largest denaturalisation surge in recorded history,” said the Justice Department’s Civil Division Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate.