Who is Gurmeet Singh? All about Indian‑origin man whose US citizenship was revoked after rape conviction: What we know
Who Is Gurmeet Singh? US Citizenship Revoked
Theindiapostdaily.com – For readers searching who is Gurmeet Singh and all about the case that led to his denaturalization, the short answer is this: a 55-year-old Indian-born taxi driver whose American citizenship was formally stripped after a federal court found he concealed a rape and kidnapping during his naturalization proceedings. The Department of Justice announced the revocation on Monday, acting on an order from the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The move places Singh squarely in the small group of naturalized citizens whose status has been unwound under the denaturalization statute.
From Visitor Visa to Naturalized Citizen
Singh first entered the United States in February 1992 on a visitor visa allowing a six-month stay. He did not depart when that window closed and remained in the country for several additional years. In June 2000 he obtained permanent residency through a family-sponsored immigrant visa petition, a route that lets close relatives already holding US status sponsor family members abroad.
After years of living and working in New York City — most recently driving a taxi — Singh applied for naturalization and was sworn in on 19 October 2011, roughly three weeks after the crime detailed below. Prosecutors allege he concealed his criminal conduct throughout the entire naturalization process, meaning the oath was obtained through material misrepresentation.
The Crime: A Taxi Ride Turned Violent
In May 2011, Singh picked up a young female passenger in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn and was driving her toward her apartment in the East Village. According to prosecutors, the woman fell asleep during the ride. Singh steered the cab to a secluded spot, threatened her with a knife, bound and gagged her, and raped her. The victim escaped and sought help from passersby around dawn.
A New York court convicted Singh in 2014 of rape in the first degree and kidnapping in the second degree, the latter charged as a sexually motivated felony. He received a 20-year prison sentence. At sentencing he was already a naturalized citizen — a status that, under ordinary circumstances, would have shielded him from deportation. The revocation of that status changes the calculus entirely.
Current Status and What Comes Next
Singh is incarcerated at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Wallkill, New York, which also houses David Berkowitz, the serial killer known as the "Son of Sam." His scheduled release date is February 2029. Once he exits the prison system, the Department of Homeland Security will determine whether to initiate deportation proceedings — a step available precisely because his citizenship no longer exists.
Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis in Brooklyn ordered Singh to surrender all citizenship documents, including his naturalization certificate and US passport, by 16 September. Compliance with that order is a prerequisite for the revocation to take full administrative effect.
Official Statements
Attorney General Todd Blanche framed the decision in blunt terms:
"American citizenship is not a shield for criminals. Gurmeet Singh, a convicted rapist from India, is no longer a U.S. citizen. He concealed a rape and kidnapping during the naturalization process, and a federal court has now revoked his citizenship. This Department took this case across the finish line, and we will continue to move expeditiously on denaturalization referrals. Fraudulently obtained citizenship will not protect criminals from justice."
Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General heading the Justice Department's Civil Division, added:
"Singh unlawfully obtained the privileges of US citizenship by concealing horrible criminal acts." She stated the DOJ will continue to protect the integrity of the citizenship process and hold accountable those who defraud the immigration system.
The Broader Denaturalization Landscape
Denaturalization — the judicial unwinding of a naturalized citizen's status — remains rare in American legal practice. Congress granted the power to revoke citizenship only for naturalized citizens, never for those born on US soil, and the Supreme Court has historically interpreted the statute narrowly. Most cases involve fraud or concealment at the naturalization stage, exactly the theory advanced here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gurmeet Singh and why was his citizenship revoked? Gurmeet Singh is a 55-year-old Indian-born former taxi driver who was naturalized in October 2011. His citizenship was revoked because a federal court found he concealed a rape and kidnapping committed in May 2011 during his naturalization proceedings.
Can a naturalized citizen be deported after denaturalization? Yes. Once citizenship is revoked, the individual reverts to the status they held before naturalization. In Singh's case, the Department of Homeland Security will decide whether to initiate deportation after his February 2029 release from Shawangunk Correctional Facility.
How common is denaturalization in the United States? It is uncommon. The statute applies only to naturalized citizens, not those born on US soil, and courts interpret the requirement narrowly. Most successful cases hinge on fraud or material concealment during the naturalization process.
What happens to Singh's prison sentence after denaturalization? His 20-year sentence remains in effect. Denaturalization does not shorten or alter the sentence; it simply removes the citizenship shield that would otherwise block deportation upon release.