Immigration authorities detain former Kansas mayor who voted illegally
The former mayor of a conservative Kansas town was detained by immigration officials Wednesday after admitting he voted in last year’s election even though he was not a U.S. citizen.
Joe Ceballos, who was born in Mexico and is a legal permanent resident of the United States, was detained during a meeting at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Wichita, Kansas, according to his attorney, Jess Hoeme. He said Ceballos now fears he could be deported.
The 55-year-old man faced state charges for voting as a noncitizen when he resigned as mayor of Coldwater in December. Hoeme said Ceballos admitted during an interview while applying for citizenship in 2025 that he voted without knowing that green card holders were not eligible.
Ceballos was charged with illegal voting but pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charges in an agreement with the Kansas attorney general in April. His case caught the attention of the Trump administration and inspired supporters in his community; Some held signs saying “We Support Mayor Joe” and “ICE Out” as Ceballos entered the federal building in Wichita.
“Let go of Joe!” the crowd shouted.
“It’s a little crazy to think about what could have happened,” Ceballos told reporters. “Obviously, I’m nervous. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know where they’re going to take me and what I can and can’t do there.”
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to CNN that Ceballos, who received a green card in 1990, “falsely claimed to be a US citizen” on voter registration forms and “once again committed a crime by lying that he never claimed to be a US citizen on his naturalization application.”
Trump and other Republicans have been warning about the dangers of noncitizens voting in elections since the start of the 2024 presidential election. Even studies by Republican election officials show the problem is rare.
This year, Trump is pushing congressional Republicans to pass the SAVE Act, among other things. requires documented evidence Must have US citizenship to register and vote.
The administration has also significantly improved a program that checks citizenship under Homeland Security. At least 25 states, most controlled by Republicans, used this system to check voter rolls.
Ceballos was brought to the United States from Mexico by his family when he was 4 years old. Hoeme said lawyers will next try to find an immigration judge to release him on bail.
Ceballos, 18, was encouraged to register to vote during a field trip to the Comanche County courthouse, he said. Ceballos has previously said in interviews with reporters that he votes Republican.
He was twice elected mayor of Coldwater, population 700, and also served on the city council. Ceballos won a new term in November but resigned after State Attorney General Kris Kobach accused him of casting unqualified votes and committing perjury in the election.
However, Kobach’s office reached an agreement with Ceballos. He pleaded guilty to disorderly election conduct, which Hoeme described as a misdemeanor akin to breach of the peace.
“He was not convicted of any voter fraud. This should not have affected his immigration status,” Hoeme said. “The Trump administration and ICE have doubled down on the nonsense that he is a criminal.”
Ceballos was a popular figure in Coldwater, and an ad in the Western Star newspaper encouraged people to support him.
“He got to kind of live the American dream, come from scratch and work his way up to — I don’t know about riches — but start a business, have a job, and be a productive part of society,” said longtime friend Ryan Swayze. he told Wichita station KAKE-TV.
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