Immigration authorities detain former Kansas mayor who voted illegally
Source: AP
Updated 6:18 PM EDT, May 13, 2026
The former mayor of a conservative Kansas town was taken into custody by immigration authorities Wednesday 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 during a meeting at a 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 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 don’t 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.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/kansas-mayor-immigration-coldwater-20a6059a911d7e4aa6fbf3f41b0c7ccf
REFERENCES
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https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143653845
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