An 80-year-old Travis County man convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child is among 24 naturalized citizens the Trump administration is seeking to strip of U.S. citizenship. The Justice Department says Jose Luis Martinez-Zavala concealed the 2010 crime during the naturalization process.
Martinez-Zavala, who was born in Mexico and became a U.S. citizen in 2014, pleaded guilty to the Travis County offense in 2020, according to KVUE. Federal officials allege he was ineligible to naturalize because the crime occurred during the period when applicants must demonstrate good moral character. The department also alleges that he made false statements and committed perjury on his citizenship application and during his interview.
Citizenship Revocation Requires A Federal Court Case
This is a civil denaturalization complaint, not an automatic cancellation of Martinez-Zavala’s citizenship. Under federal law, the government must ask a district court to revoke naturalization when it alleges citizenship was illegally obtained or secured through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation.
If the government wins, a person’s immigration status typically reverts to the status held before naturalization, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In Martinez-Zavala’s case, the prior status listed in the reporting was lawful permanent resident status, which could leave him subject to separate immigration proceedings.
Case Joins A Rapidly Expanding Federal Campaign
The Travis County filing follows a series of nationwide denaturalization announcements from the Justice Department. On June 8, the department said it had filed cases against 17 naturalized citizens, including people accused of concealing sexual offenses, fraud and drug crimes, as detailed in a Justice Department release.
On July 20, the department announced another 10 cases and said the complaints involved alleged child sexual abuse, health care fraud, immigration fraud and cocaine trafficking, according to a separate Justice Department announcement. CBS News reported that the administration is aiming to file at least 250 denaturalization cases during fiscal year 2026.
Since President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20, 2025, the Justice Department has filed 123 civil denaturalization complaints, the most in recorded history, according to KVUE. Previous administrations averaged 11 or fewer such cases per year, the report said.
What Happens Next For Martinez-Zavala
The Justice Department’s own immigration litigation guidance says denaturalization decisions are supposed to be made case by case after investigation and consideration of the facts. The complaint’s allegations must still be tested in court, and no final ruling revoking Martinez-Zavala’s citizenship was identified in the reporting.
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