Portland, OR, June 18, 2026 — Federal authorities have filed a civil denaturalization complaint against an Indian-born Oregon resident, alleging that he obtained U.S. citizenship by concealing his true identity and immigration history for more than two decades.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, accuses 54-year-old Jaswinder Singh, also known as Balwinder Singh, of illegally procuring U.S. citizenship through fraud and misrepresentation.
According to court documents, Singh first applied for immigration benefits in August 1990 under the name Balwinder Singh. In November of that year, an immigration judge denied his application and ordered him deported from the United States. After an unsuccessful appeal, Singh was directed to surrender to immigration authorities in July 1993 but failed to do so.
Federal prosecutors allege that Singh later adopted a second identity and re-entered the immigration system under the name Jaswinder Singh. In November 1994, he submitted a new application for immigration benefits using a different identity, date of birth, and date of entry into the United States.
Authorities say the application concealed his prior deportation order and immigration history. In August 2003, unaware of his earlier record, an immigration judge granted the application. Singh certified under penalty of perjury that the information he provided was true, enabling him to obtain lawful permanent resident status.
The government alleges that Singh subsequently used that status to pursue U.S. citizenship. In his naturalization application, signed under penalty of perjury, Singh again certified that all information and supporting evidence were accurate. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved his naturalization application on June 3, 2013.
The complaint alleges that Singh was never lawfully admitted for permanent residence because that status was obtained through fraud. It further claims that he provided false testimony during the naturalization process and concealed material facts from immigration authorities.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a federal court must revoke a person’s citizenship if it determines that naturalization was illegally procured or obtained through willful misrepresentation or concealment of material facts.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a component of the Department of Homeland Security.
Federal officials said the lawsuit is part of a broader effort to identify and pursue cases involving alleged immigration and naturalization fraud. The filing is believed to be the first civil denaturalization case brought in Oregon as part of the administration’s expanded initiative to revoke citizenship obtained through fraudulent means.
Civil denaturalization cases are relatively rare but can result in the loss of U.S. citizenship if the government successfully proves that citizenship was acquired unlawfully.
If the court rules in favor of the government, Singh could be stripped of his U.S. citizenship and become subject to further immigration proceedings.
