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ICE Seeks $250,000 Fine Against Immigration Attorney Over Alleged Duplicate Asylum Filings
Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Tuesday it is seeking a $250,000 fine against attorney Vinod Doddamani. The agency alleges he filed 32 cases containing 64 fraudulent documents with identical narratives. This is the first such action against an immigration attorney.
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Tuesday it is seeking a $250,000 fine against immigration attorney Vinod Doddamani for allegedly filing false asylum claims. Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, issued five notices of intent to fine Doddamani.
DHS alleges the 32 cases contained 64 fraudulent documents that were identical or nearly identical in language and substance, including the same factual narrative and supporting details regarding alleged persecution.
ABC News reported that this marks the first time ICE has filed a notice of intent to fine an immigration attorney for allegedly filing false asylum claims. DHS has never previously sought to punish lawyers who allegedly filed fraudulent claims. The action follows a directive last month from DHS's top lawyer instructing ICE to pursue lawyers who filed fraudulent asylum claims in immigration court.
Filing a false immigration claim violates anti-fraud statutes, according to DHS General Counsel James Percival. “Fraudulent asylum claims threaten the safety of Americans by overwhelming our burdened immigration system and delaying the removal of dangerous criminal aliens,” Percival said. ” ABC News has reached out to Doddamani's attorney for comment.
