Immigration authorities detain former Kansas mayor who voted illegally [View all]
The former mayor of a conservative Kansas town was taken into custody by immigration authorities after acknowledging last year that he had voted in elections despite not being a U.S. citizen.
Joe Ceballos, who was born in Mexico and is a legal permanent U.S. resident, was detained Wednesday during a meeting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Wichita, Kan., according to his attorney, Jess Hoeme. He said Ceballos now fears he could be deported.
The 55-year-old resigned as mayor of Coldwater in December while facing state charges over voting as a noncitizen. While seeking citizenship in 2025, Ceballos admitted during an interview that he had voted, not knowing that green card holders dont qualify, Hoeme said.
Ceballos was charged with voting illegally but pleaded guilty in April to misdemeanors in a deal with the Kansas attorney general. His case has drawn attention from the Trump administration and inspired supporters in his community, some of whom held signs reading We Support Mayor Joe and ICE Out as Ceballos walked into the federal building in Wichita.
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-05-15/immigration-authorities-detain-former-kansas-mayor-who-voted-illegally
Guess who he voted for illegally...