Signing you in

Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “American citizenship is not a shield for criminals,” adding that Singh “concealed a rape and kidnapping during the naturalization process, and a federal court has now revoked his citizenship.” The department said the ruling shows it will continue to pursue denaturalization cases “expeditiously.”

Singh first entered the United States in February 1992 on a temporary six-month visa, according to the Justice Department. He stayed in the country without authorization for several years before a family-based visa petition allowed him to gain permanent residency in June 2000.

The Justice Department said Singh hid these actions during his naturalization 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 was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said, “Singh unlawfully obtained the privileges of US citizenship by concealing horrible criminal acts,” and said the department “will continue to protect the integrity of the citizenship process.”

US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York said the court’s judgment “sends a strong message to those who obtain citizenship through deceit.”

The department noted that the ruling followed a complaint it filed on February 2, and the case was handled by Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla and Assistant US Attorney Layaliza Soloveichik.