[Houston Chron] A federal judge this week approved an order revoking the naturalized citizenship of a Harris County man convicted of a sex offense more than 20 years earlier, one of a growing number of immigrants stripped of citizenship in a push that began in the final years of the Obama administration.Jose Arizmendi, a native of Mexico, failed to disclose his 1996 conviction when he applied for citizenship, according to federal prosecutors.
"The Justice Department is committed to preserving the integrity of our nation's immigration system," Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler said in a statement.
"We will aggressively pursue denaturalization in cases where individuals lie on their naturalization applications, especially in a circumstance like this one, which involved a child sex abuser. Civil denaturalization cases are an important law enforcement tool for protecting the public, including our children."
The 54-year-old Arizmendi pleaded guilty in Harris County to aggravated sexual assault of a child in April 1996, accepting 10 years of probation as part of a deferred adjudication agreement.
He applied to become a citizen later that month, and during his October 1996 immigration interview, he said "no" when asked if he'd ever been arrested or convicted of a crime more serious than a traffic violation.