Nearly 35 years after first arriving in the United States, an Indian-born man is now facing a legal battle that could strip him of the American citizenship he obtained years ago.
The US government has filed a civil denaturalisation lawsuit against Harinder Singh, also known as Harinder Singh Sanghera and Rushpal Singh, alleging that he built his immigration history on a false identity and concealed crucial information from authorities.
The case offers a striking example of how an immigration discrepancy from decades ago can resurface long after a person has obtained permanent residency and citizenship.
The Identity Change That Started It All
According to the US government’s allegations, immigration authorities first encountered Singh at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1991.
At the time, he reportedly identified himself as Rushpal Singh.
Four years later, in 1995, authorities ordered him deported. However, the government says it has no record showing that he ever left the United States under that order.
Instead, the government alleges that Singh later re-entered the immigration system under a different identity.
In June 1996, he reportedly filed an application using the name Harinder Singh. Authorities allege that the application also contained different information about his date of birth, date of entry into the US and the basis of his immigration claim.
That change in identity became the foundation of his subsequent immigration status.
From Deportation Order to Green Card
Despite the earlier deportation order, Singh’s new application was approved, according to the government.
By 2000, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service had approved his application for lawful permanent residency under the Harinder Singh identity.
Eight years later, he became a naturalised American citizen under that name.
The government now argues that this citizenship was obtained improperly because Singh allegedly failed to disclose his previous immigration history and identity.
That distinction is crucial.
The case is not simply about whether someone used more than one name. The government’s lawsuit alleges that material information was deliberately concealed during the immigration and naturalisation process.
Why Is the Case Coming Up Now?
The timing is significant.
The Justice Department says it has dramatically expanded its denaturalisation efforts in recent years. According to the department, approximately 123 civil denaturalisation complaints have been filed since January 20, 2025, which it described as the highest number in recorded history.
That broader enforcement push provides important context for Singh’s case.
For decades, his citizenship apparently remained intact despite the alleged discrepancies dating back to the early 1990s. Now, those same records are being revisited through a federal civil lawsuit.
The episode highlights a fundamental reality of naturalised citizenship: becoming a US citizen does not necessarily end the government’s ability to challenge the citizenship if it was allegedly obtained through fraud or concealment.
What the Government Wants
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas filed the civil action on August 7.
The government is seeking to revoke the order that admitted Singh to US citizenship and cancel his certificate of naturalisation.
Importantly, the allegations are still allegations. Filing a denaturalisation lawsuit does not by itself mean that Singh has already lost his citizenship.
A court must consider the government’s case before any final outcome is reached.
A Case That Goes Beyond One Man
The Singh case is particularly striking because of the amount of time involved.
Someone who entered the United States in 1991 and later became a citizen in 2008 is now facing the possibility that the legal foundation of that citizenship could be revisited more than three decades after his arrival.
That long timeline raises a broader question about the durability of naturalisation.
For immigrants, obtaining citizenship is often viewed as the final step in a lengthy journey—from visa status to permanent residency and eventually to becoming an American citizen.
But cases such as this demonstrate that the circumstances surrounding naturalisation can remain legally relevant decades later if authorities believe citizenship was secured through deception.
Another Indian-Origin Citizen Faces Similar Proceedings
Singh is not the only Indian-origin naturalised citizen facing such proceedings.
Another man, Debashis Ghosh, has also faced denaturalisation proceedings. According to Hindustan Times, Ghosh entered the US multiple times on non-immigrant visas beginning as early as 1991 and later became a US citizen in 2012.
His case was among a group of denaturalisation actions announced by the Justice Department, with the number of cases subsequently increasing.
The Bigger Picture: Citizenship Under Greater Scrutiny
The most significant aspect of Singh’s story may therefore be less about the individual allegations and more about what the case reveals about the changing US immigration landscape.
For years, immigration records were largely dependent on paper files and databases created at different points in time. Old inconsistencies could potentially remain buried in disconnected systems.
But as historical immigration records become increasingly digitised and searchable, discrepancies that once remained unnoticed can become easier for authorities to identify.
That means an immigration history from the 1990s can potentially come under scrutiny in 2026.
A 35-Year-Old Immigration Trail Comes Back Into Focus
Singh’s story began at an American airport in 1991, when authorities say he presented himself under one name.
It then moved through a deportation order, a new identity, permanent residency and eventually American citizenship.
Now, more than three decades later, the US government is asking a federal court to determine whether that citizenship was legally obtained.
The case serves as a powerful reminder that naturalisation is not simply about the status a person holds today; it can also depend on whether the journey used to obtain that status was truthful from the beginning.
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