ICE Arrests Former Kansas Mayor Who Voted Illegally

The former mayor of a small conservative Kansas town was taken into custody by immigration authorities Wednesday after previously admitting he voted in American elections despite not being a U.S. citizen.

Joe Ceballos, a lawful permanent resident originally born in Mexico, was detained during a meeting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Wichita, according to his attorney, Jess Hoeme.

Hoeme said Ceballos now fears possible deportation proceedings.

Ceballos, 55, resigned as mayor of Coldwater in December after facing state charges connected to unlawful voting by a noncitizen.

According to his attorney, Ceballos acknowledged during a 2025 citizenship interview that he had voted without understanding that green card holders are prohibited from participating in federal elections.

The case has drawn national attention amid President Donald Trump’s renewed focus on election integrity, voter eligibility, and immigration enforcement.

Supporters of Ceballos gathered outside the federal building in Wichita as he entered the ICE office Wednesday, carrying signs reading “We Support Mayor Joe” and “ICE Out.”

“Thinking what could happen — it’s just kind of crazy,” Ceballos told reporters before entering the building.

“Obviously 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 inside there,” he added.

President Trump has repeatedly urged Congress to pass the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, commonly known as the SAVE Act, which would require documented proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.

The administration has also expanded Department of Homeland Security programs used to verify citizenship status and audit voter registration rolls.

According to reports, at least 25 states — most led by Republicans — are now using those systems to review voter eligibility records.

Ceballos was brought to the United States from Mexico by relatives when he was just four years old.

His attorney said the next legal step will involve seeking his release on bond before an immigration judge.

According to Hoeme, Ceballos originally registered to vote at age 18 during a school-sponsored visit to the Comanche County Courthouse, where students were encouraged to sign up to vote.

Ceballos later served two terms as mayor of Coldwater, a town with roughly 700 residents, and also held a seat on the city council.

Although he won reelection in November, he ultimately resigned after Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach charged him with unlawful voting and election perjury.

The case has reignited broader national debate over election security and voter roll integrity.

Democrats and many media outlets have frequently argued that widespread voter fraud remains extremely rare in the United States.

However, officials inside the Trump administration say recent audits have uncovered significant irregularities in voter registration databases.

Harmeet Dhillon announced earlier this year that Department of Justice reviews involving tens of millions of voter records uncovered hundreds of thousands of potentially ineligible registrations.

According to Dhillon, audits revealed more than 300,000 deceased individuals still listed as active voters, along with duplicate registrations and noncitizens who allegedly voted in federal elections.

Republicans have long argued that inaccurate voter rolls combined with large-scale mail-in ballot distribution systems create opportunities for fraud and undermine public confidence in elections.

Dhillon’s team has expanded federal review efforts since President Trump returned to office.

An earlier 2025 review involving roughly 47.5 million voter records reportedly identified more than 260,000 deceased voters and thousands of allegedly unlawful registrations.

“We have run some records for some states. So, I think we’ve run something between 50 and 60 million voter records so far. And, you know, during this president’s tenure, we have found hundreds of thousands of people who shouldn’t be on the voter rolls—people who are dead, people who have moved, and duplicate registrations,” Dhillon said during an appearance on Newsmax.

The controversy surrounding Ceballos’ detention is expected to further intensify the national debate over immigration enforcement, voter eligibility laws, and election security heading into future federal elections.