USCIS Assists in Denaturalization of Convicted Child Sex Offender

USCIS News Releases

Filed March 19th, 2026

Detected March 19th, 2026

Summary

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provided assistance in the denaturalization of Carlos Noe Gallegos, a convicted child sex offender in Texas. Gallegos concealed his criminal past during his naturalization process in 2010, leading to the revocation of his citizenship by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

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What changed

USCIS has announced its pivotal assistance in the denaturalization of Carlos Noe Gallegos, a Mexican national and convicted child sex offender residing in Texas. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ordered the revocation of Gallegos's citizenship after finding that he concealed his prior conviction for sexually assaulting a child during his naturalization application in 2010. This action highlights the consequences of failing to disclose criminal conduct during the immigration process and underscores the collaborative efforts between USCIS, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of Justice in enforcing immigration laws.

This case serves as a critical reminder for individuals undergoing naturalization or other immigration benefit processes to fully and accurately disclose all relevant information, particularly criminal history. Failure to do so can lead to the denial of benefits, revocation of citizenship, and potential deportation. The USCIS Tip Form is available for reporting suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse, indicating a proactive stance by the agency in identifying and addressing such violations. Compliance officers should ensure that all naturalization applicants are fully aware of their disclosure obligations and the severe penalties for concealment.

What to do next

Review internal procedures for identifying and reporting potential immigration fraud.
Ensure all naturalization applicants are fully informed of disclosure requirements regarding criminal history.
Report any suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse using the USCIS Tip Form.

Penalties

Revocation of citizenship, potential deportation.

Source document (simplified)

Convicted Child Sex Offender in Texas Denaturalized With Help From USCIS

Release Date

03/19/2026

McALLEN, Texas — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided pivotal assistance to the investigation that led to the denaturalization of Carlos Noe Gallegos, a convicted child sex offender. The U.S. attorney’s office made the announcement.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued the order stripping Gallegos, a Mexican national, of his citizenship after he concealed from USCIS during his naturalization process in 2010 the fact that he had sexually assaulted a child. Gallegos failed to disclose both his criminal acts but pleaded guilty to the crime after becoming a U.S. citizen. The court found that Gallegos’s criminal conduct made him ineligible for naturalization and that his citizenship was illegally obtained.

The Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, handled the case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. The case was investigated by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of USCIS.

To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.Bottom of Form

Last Reviewed/Updated:

03/19/2026

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