ICE Arrests Latino Former Mayor Who Voted for Trump

ICE arrests former mayor

Voted while holding permanent residency

Kansas debates deportation case

José “Joe” Ceballos went from being a respected public figure in Coldwater to facing possible deportation proceedings.

The former mayor was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after admitting that he voted in federal elections while he was a lawful permanent resident and not a U.S. citizen.

Why it matters: The case has reignited national debate over immigration and election fraud in the United States.

It also places renewed attention on the immigration consequences facing permanent residents accused of election-related violations.

ICE arrests former Kansas mayor facing deportation

“Former Kansas mayor José ‘Joe’ Ceballos was taken into custody after admitting he voted in federal elections while being a permanent resident and not a U.S. citizen. The former official now faces possible deportation proceedings.”
https://t.co/WqZ54gIto2 pic.twitter.com/drGQlhDyua

— EL PAÍS América (@elpais_america) May 14, 2026

Ceballos voluntarily appeared Wednesday before federal immigration agents in Wichita, according to EL PAÍS América.

The order came days after he resolved a state criminal case involving unlawful electoral conduct.

The former official now faces possible deportation proceedings initiated by federal immigration authorities.

Ceballos, 55, was born in Mexico and arrived in the United States when he was just four years old.

He obtained permanent residency in 1990 and spent nearly his entire life in Coldwater, a conservative community of roughly 700 residents.

For years, he worked for the local utility company before becoming involved in local politics and eventually serving as mayor.

The case became public in November 2025. The office of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed charges against him one day after he was reelected mayor.

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The accusations involved votes cast during elections in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Initially, he faced felony charges related to unlawful voting and election perjury.

Those charges carried the possibility of years in prison.

Plea agreement did not stop immigration proceedings

NEW: Coldwater, Kansas mayor charged with election fraud after it was revealed he allegedly voted multiple times despite not being a U.S. citizen.

Jose (Joe) Ceballos won re-election on Tuesday night and was charged by Kansas AG Kris Kobach the next morning.

«In Kansas, it is… pic.twitter.com/zgrQ7w1Vsg

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 6, 2025

In April, prosecutors and defense attorneys reached a plea agreement.

José «Joe» Ceballos pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of “unlawful voting conduct.”

He received probation, a suspended sentence, and a $2,000 fine.

For many residents of Coldwater, the case appeared resolved.

However, shortly after sentencing, immigration agents contacted his attorneys and ordered him to report to ICE.

According to immigration attorney Sarah Balderas, authorities are using José «Joe» Ceballos’ own admission to advance deportation proceedings.

“Things like claiming to be a U.S. citizen or voting when you should not have — those types of actions are considered offenses that can lead to removal,” Balderas told local outlet KMUW.

Ceballos and his legal team argue that the issue began decades earlier.

The former mayor stated that he registered to vote during a high school field trip.

According to his account, he believed for years that permanent residents were legally allowed to participate in U.S. elections.

Case fuels national political debate

The detention comes amid ongoing national debate over immigration and election fraud.

President Donald Trump and several Republican leaders have repeatedly argued since the 2024 presidential campaign that noncitizen voting poses a threat to the electoral system.

This comes despite election officials and multiple studies consistently finding that such cases are rare.

Trump has also promoted the SAVE Act.

The proposal would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in the United States.

Ceballos publicly acknowledged voting for Trump and said he does not regret it.

Even so, a spokesperson for the United States Department of Homeland Security stated that the government would seek to deport him if convicted.

Meanwhile, support for the former mayor has grown in Coldwater.

Dozens of supporters gathered Wednesday outside ICE offices to protest his detention and demand his release.

Ceballos’ attorneys will attempt to obtain a bond hearing before an immigration judge.

They will also seek to stop a possible deportation to Mexico, the country he left as a child.

Before surrendering to authorities, the former mayor said he still hopes to remain in the United States.

“They can’t believe this is happening to someone like me,” he told KMUW about the reaction of his neighbors. “A guy trying to live the American dream — and they can take it away from me.”