PrintJune 26, 2009
Lawyers Convicted in Immigration Asylum Fraud
Three lawyers and two interpreters were convicted of immigration fraud by filing hundreds of false asylum claims from 2000 to 2004.
A federal jury convicted the five on Thursday in the US Court in Sacramento, CA. The scheme involved forged documents and false testimony:
The applications were often supported by fraudulent doctor's letters, medical certificates and affidavits. As a result, scores of their clients fraudulently obtained lawful status as U.S. asylees. They also coached their clients to memorize the false stories for interviews with Asylum Officers and hearings before the immigration court.
The lawyers are Jagprit Singh Sekhon, his brother Jagdip Singh Sekhon, and Manjit Kaur Rai; the interpreters are Iosif Caza and Luciana Harmath. At least two of the lawyers are not US citizens and could face deportation after serving their terms.
During closing arguments, the prosecutor described how the scheme unraveled:
"Their clients came from obscure towns and villages on the other side of the world," he said, and some of them testified for the government. "Who's going to believe them over lawyers who are upstanding members of the community? That's what the defendants are counting on now."What they didn't anticipate was an alert (San Francisco) asylum officer with lots of knowledge of Romania and a dedicated investigator with years of immigration experience."
There is no word on what will happen to the "scores" of immigrants who obtained asylum. Since some of them testified for the government, they will likely get to stay in return for their testimony.
But as Michelle Malkin points out in another asylum fraud case: "We know what happens when many asylum applicants are rejected and ordered home: Nothing."
