An Indian-origin immigration lawyer based in the US is being fined more than $250,000 after federal authorities accused him of filing fake asylum documents on behalf of clients.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Tuesday that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has filed five notices of intent to fine attorney Vinod Doddamani. According to the agency, the action pertains to 32 immigration cases in which he had submitted 64 fake documents.DHS claims Doddamani repeatedly filed asylum applications that were “identical or nearly identical in language and content, including the same or nearly identical factual narrative and supporting details regarding the alleged persecution”.The agency said the documents were submitted on behalf of Indian citizens. In a post on X, DHS wrote: “The days of lawyers abusing and defrauding our immigration system are over. HSI has filed five notices of intent to fine lawyer Vinod Doddamani more than $250,000 for filing 64 fraudulent documents on behalf of Indian citizens.“Our message to immigration lawyers is clear: If you engage in fraud, you will be held accountable.”According to US officials, this is the first time DHS has sought financial penalties against a lawyer accused of filing fraudulent asylum claims.The move follows a directive issued by the department’s top lawyer last month, directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take action against lawyers suspected of submitting false asylum applications in immigration courts.“Fraudulent asylum claims endanger the safety of Americans by overwhelming our overburdened immigration system and delaying the removal of dangerous criminal aliens,” said DHS General Counsel James Percival.He said: “By holding (Doddamani) accountable, we are sending a message to other immigration lawyers engaged in fraud across the country: Your days of abusing and defrauding our immigration system are over.”Percival also posted on Today we fined an attorney over $255k for filing multiple fraudulent claims on behalf of Indian citizens.
So who is Vinod Doddamani?
According to USAtorneys. com, Doddamani was born in India and later became a citizen of Germany. He has lived in South Florida since 2009 and describes himself as “internationally exposed”.He has an extensive educational background and holds four degrees. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and later completed his law degree from Chapman University. During his legal studies, he focused on intellectual property, entertainment, international and immigration law.Doddamani is also multilingual and says that he speaks ten languages, including German, French, Polish, Italian, Spanish and Hindi.He has worked as a patent, trademark, technology and immigration attorney. His biography states that he has represented clients before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), appeared in immigration courts throughout the United States, and handled deportation and removal cases.Before entering legal practice, Doddamani worked as an IT consultant and systems analyst for several leading organizations. His resume lists assignments with companies and institutions including Sony Pictures Entertainment, Credit Suisse, PIMCO, Capital Group, AEG, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.His legal career also includes work in patent law, trademark filings and intellectual property matters. He is admitted to the Illinois and District of Columbia bars and has worked in both private legal practice and intellectual property consulting.According to his Facebook profile, Vinod studied Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics from St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru, India. And he lives in Los Angeles, California.