An Indian man became a US citizen in 2005, changed his identity but was caught in 2020 through fingerprints.
The Department of Justice had filed a civil complaint to revoke citizenship against a man of Indian origin who changed his identity to obtain American citizenship. A federal judge ruled in favor of the Justice Department and ordered the citizenship of the man they described as an immigration and identity fraudster to be revoked.Gurdev Singh Sohal, also known as Dev Singh and Buta Singh Sondhu, became a naturalized US citizen in 2005. An individual becomes a naturalized citizen of the United States after living in the United States continuously for 3-5 years with a green card.But Sohal was ordered deported in 1994 when he was known by his former name Dev Singh. Instead of leaving the United States, he took on a new identity, a new date of birth, and a new date of entry into the United States and became Sohal with a completely new background.
Suhal is naturalized under the new and assumed identity. Sohal has withheld his prior immigration history under the Dev Singh identity in any of his immigration applications or proceedings under the new identity.In 2020, fingerprint analysts confirmed that they were both the same person.On April 13, the court found that Sohal illegally obtained his U.S. citizenship because illegal acts he committed to conceal his prior identity left him unable to prove he had the good moral character required for naturalization.
“This case demonstrates the strength of this administration and its commitment to ensuring the sanctity of American citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The collaboration between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security reflects a strong partnership to protect the nation from immigration and identity fraud.”The Sohal case was the ninth suit to revoke citizenship since January 20, 2025, when it was filed by the administration.
