A Mexican citizen with legal residence in the United States was arrested by immigration agents after detecting an omission in the form he submitted to obtain U.S. citizenship. Although he has lived in the country for more than 20 years, he now faces a lawsuit that could cost him his immigration status.

The detainee, identified as Hernan Rafael Castro, was accused of providing false information in his naturalization application by failing to declare a previous arrest. According to documents cited by Newsweek, this omission led authorities to believe he committed a federal crime, even though the case for which he was arrested years ago was dismissed by a judge.

The Case of Hernan Castro and the Citizenship Application

According to court documents cited by Newsweek, Castro arrived in the United States more than 20 years ago, which helped him obtain a Green Card in previous years. It was in 2022 when he began the process to obtain naturalization.

However, on May 31, he was formally charged for failing to report a previous arrest in his citizenship application. Although the case related to that arrest was dismissed and did not result in a conviction, the mere failure to include it was enough to charge him with a federal crime of making false statements under oath.

The government maintains that Castro "deliberately withheld" that information, although his defense argues it was a mistake without malicious intent. To the question, "Have you ever sold or smuggled any controlled substances, illegal drugs, or narcotics?" Castro reportedly answered "no," according to official data.

The arrest took place at his home in Arizona, where he lived with his wife and children. Since then, he remains in the custody of immigration authorities, awaiting the progress of his case.

What charges does he face and what the outcome could be?

Castro currently faces a charge of providing false information in a naturalization process, which according to federal law can carry up to five years in prison and/or the revocation of his immigration status.

His family and lawyer argue that the original arrest, of which he was acquitted, had no current relevance and should not be a reason to put his life established in the United States at risk.

The future of his permanent residence will depend on the outcome of the trial and the judicial interpretation of his omission in the application. It won't be until August 20 that Hernan's situation will finally be revealed.

So far, friends and family of the detainee have raised more than $30,000 for his cause through the GoFundMe platform.