Staff Reports
The Justice Department has won a court order that strips a man of his U.S. citizenship after he was convicted of a brutal rape and kidnapping. A federal judge in the Eastern District of New York declared that Gurmeet Singh obtained his naturalization by hiding the crime. The DOJ says Singh must now surrender his Certificate of Naturalization.
What the court found and the legal basis
The DOJ’s civil complaint says Singh raped and kidnapped a sleeping passenger in his taxi in May 2011, then failed to disclose that crime when he applied for citizenship later that year. A New York jury convicted him in 2014 of first‑degree rape and second‑degree kidnapping, and he was sentenced to concurrent 20‑year terms. The Department sued under 8 U.S.C. § 1451(a), the federal denaturalization law that cancels citizenship obtained by concealment or willful misrepresentation.
Official words that matter
Attorney General Todd Blanche put it plainly: “American citizenship is not a shield for criminals.” Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate added that Singh “unlawfully obtained the privileges of U.S. citizenship by concealing horrible criminal acts.” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said the order “requires the defendant to surrender his wrongfully obtained citizenship.” Those are not mild words — they signal this Justice Department means business on denaturalization.
Why this case matters beyond one offender
This is not only about one rapist. It is part of a clear DOJ push to protect the integrity of naturalization. Denaturalization used to be rare. Now the Civil Division is filing more cases and demanding that people who lied to become citizens lose that badge of honor. That is a good thing. Citizenship should be earned and kept honestly, not treated like a get‑out‑of‑accountability card.
What comes next — and the common sense takeaway
The court’s judgment cancels Singh’s certificate and orders its surrender. That often leads to immigration steps like removal proceedings, though those are handled separately. Defense appeals are possible, but the facts here are ugly and clear. The larger takeaway is simple: the rule of law must mean something. If you hide violent crimes to get a passport, expect the government to come after your citizenship. If officials want fewer victims and safer streets, enforcing denaturalization laws is a straightforward part of the answer.
