The Southern District of Texas Denaturalizes Child Sex Offender

On Jan. 22, the Southern District of Texas, McAllen Division, issued an order revoking the citizenship of Mr. Carlos Noe Gallegos, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a child prior to naturalizing and, later, withheld disclosing his illegal acts and accompanying conviction throughout his naturalization process. Prior to naturalizing, Mr. Gallegos sexually assaulted a child younger than 14 years. Years after he naturalized, Mr. Gallegos pleaded guilty to the sexual assault, and the court issued an order of community supervision. Mr. Gallegos's acts and his concealment of these material facts warranted the revocation of his 2010 naturalization under 8 U.S.C. § 1451.

"American citizenship is a privilege that this child-abusing monster never should have been able to attain," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "We will continue ensuring that anyone who conceals such conduct while obtaining naturalization is found out and stripped of their citizenship."

"Safekeeping the integrity of our society demands that this Administration be allowed to denaturalize monsters who sexually abuse our children," said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division

The Southern District of Texas held that Mr. Gallego's willful and knowing sexual contact with a child as described in sections 22.021(b)(1) and 22.011(c)(1) of the Texas Penal Code was a crime involving moral turpitude. Because Mr. Gallego's criminal conduct reflected negatively upon his character, he illegally procured his citizenship when he was never eligible to naturalize and should not have been naturalized.

This case was handled by the Justice Department's Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from the U.S Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, after investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations.