Indian-born taxi driver denaturalized for concealed assault

A federal court has revoked the U.S. citizenship of an Indian-born taxi driver after finding he concealed a violent sexual assault during his naturalization process. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the denaturalization of Gurmeet Singh on August 31, 2026, following a judgment finalized by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on August 26. Singh, 55, was convicted in 2014 and sentenced to 20 years in prison for kidnapping and raping a female passenger at knifepoint in New York in 2011. According to court documents, the crime occurred in May 2011, just weeks before he filed his naturalization paperwork. He took the oath to become a naturalized citizen on October 19, 2011, without disclosing the incident. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that "American citizenship is not a shield for criminals" and confirmed that Singh is no longer a U.S. citizen. "He concealed an assault and kidnapping during the naturalization process, and a federal court has now revoked his citizenship," Blanche said. The Department of Justice emphasized that fraudulently obtained citizenship will not protect criminals from justice.