Additional Coverage:
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced it is pursuing fines against an immigration attorney accused of submitting false asylum claims-a first for the agency.
The Department of Homeland Security’s investigative branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), issued five notices of intent to fine attorney Vinod Doddamani. According to HSI, Doddamani filed 32 immigration cases containing 64 fraudulent documents.
DHS alleges that Doddamani submitted asylum applications that were “identical or nearly identical in language and substance,” sharing the same factual narratives and supporting details about supposed persecution. If upheld, Doddamani could face fines totaling $250,000.
This move comes shortly after DHS’s top legal official directed ICE last month to target lawyers filing fraudulent asylum claims in immigration court-a step never before taken by the agency against legal representatives.
DHS General Counsel James Percival emphasized that filing false immigration claims violates anti-fraud laws and that those responsible must be held accountable. In a memo reviewed by ABC News, Percival stated, “Fraudulent asylum claims threaten the safety of Americans by overwhelming our burdened immigration system and delaying the removal of dangerous criminal aliens.”
He added, “By holding [Doddamani] accountable, we are sending a message to other immigration attorneys who engage in fraud across the country: your days of abusing and defrauding our immigration system are over.”
ICE and DHS are taking a firm stance as immigration courts face heavy caseloads, with some handling over 100 hearings daily. ABC News has reached out to Doddamani’s attorney for comment.