Kansas Ex-Mayor Faces ICE Detention After Admitting Illegal Voting in Elections

The former mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, turned himself in to Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday after pleading guilty to illegally voting in multiple elections, according to reports from Kansas officials and federal authorities, as reported by The Post Millennial.

Jose Ceballos-Armendariz, a Mexican national and lawful permanent resident, surrendered to ICE agents at an office in Wichita. He is now being held at the ICE Chase County detention facility while immigration proceedings move forward.

Ceballos previously served two terms as mayor of the small Kansas town of Coldwater. Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly conduct following a prosecution handled by the Kansas Attorney General’s office.

Kansas mayor turned himself in to ICE after pleading guilty to voting multiple times claiming to be a US Citizen when he was not and claimed he never did that on his citizenship application. Felonies. https://t.co/QrlyIaSox9

— Chromedaffodils (@Chromedaffodils) May 16, 2026

Speaking from the detention facility, Ceballos acknowledged uncertainty about what comes next in the immigration process.

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“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Ceballos said at the facility. “I don’t know where they’re going to take me and what I can and can’t do inside there.”

Ceballos was granted lawful permanent resident status in 1990 through a green card. Court records also show he has a prior 1995 battery conviction.

According to reports, the case drew additional scrutiny after authorities said Ceballos applied for U.S. citizenship in January and falsely claimed he had never represented himself as a U.S. citizen in the past.

FOX Kansas City reported that Ceballos said he believed holding a green card allowed him to legally vote in elections.

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He also said he believed his plea agreement would resolve his legal problems and expressed frustration over how the situation developed.

According to the report, Ceballos said he felt “misled” into believing his legal issues would be resolved through the plea agreement.

“Obviously, we’ll go through the process,” Ceballos said. “We’ll do what they want us to do and, you know, take one day at a time. Just do what they ask; that is my goal.”

The case quickly became part of the broader national debate surrounding election security and noncitizen voting laws. Federal officials pointed to the case while advocating for additional safeguards tied to voter verification requirements.

In a statement provided to Fox News, Department of Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis defended the SAVE America Act and argued the legislation would strengthen election protections nationwide.

“The SAVE program is a critical tool for state and local governments to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country,” Bis said.

“President Trump has been unequivocal: Nothing is more fundamental than the integrity and security of our elections. That’s why the Trump Administration has repeatedly called on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act — commonsense legislation that requires voters to present photo ID and implements other critical measures to protect federal elections from fraud. Our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens.”

The SAVE America Act has become a major focus for Republicans pushing for tighter voter identification standards and additional citizenship verification measures at polling locations.

Supporters argue the legislation would help prevent unlawful voting and strengthen confidence in federal elections.

Ceballos remains in ICE custody as immigration officials continue processing his case.

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