Former Coldwater, Kansas, Mayor Joe Ceballos (R) was taken into custody on Wednesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after previously admitting he voted in U.S. elections despite not being an American citizen.
Ceballos, 55, was detained during a scheduled meeting at an ICE office in Wichita, according to his attorney, Jess Hoeme.
Hoeme said the former mayor, who is a lawful permanent resident originally born in Mexico, now fears possible deportation proceedings following his arrest by immigration authorities.
Ceballos resigned as mayor of Coldwater in December while facing state criminal charges connected to unlawful voting by a noncitizen.
According to his attorney, Ceballos acknowledged during a 2025 citizenship interview that he had voted without realizing green card holders are prohibited from participating in federal elections.
The former mayor later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges under a plea agreement negotiated with the office of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.
Ceballos had initially faced more serious charges involving illegal voting and election perjury before reaching the plea agreement with state prosecutors.
Supporters gathered outside the federal building in Wichita before the ICE meeting, holding signs reading “We Support Mayor Joe” and “ICE Out” as Ceballos entered the facility.
“Thinking what could happen — it’s just kind of crazy,” Ceballos told reporters before entering the building Wednesday morning.
“Obviously nervous. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he added while discussing fears surrounding possible detention and deportation proceedings.
According to Hoeme, Ceballos was brought to the US from Mexico by family members when he was 4 years old and has spent most of his life living in Kansas.
His attorney said Ceballos registered to vote at age 18 during a school trip to the Comanche County Courthouse where students were encouraged to complete voter registration forms.
Ceballos later served on the city council before being elected mayor of Coldwater twice in the conservative southwest Kansas community of roughly 700 residents.
Although he won reelection last November, he stepped down after Kobach formally charged him with unlawful voting offenses tied to his immigration status.
The case has drawn national attention as President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans continue pushing election integrity legislation and stricter voter verification requirements.
Trump has urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act, legislation that would require documented proof of US citizenship before individuals can register to vote in federal elections, per the Conservative Brief.
The administration has also expanded Department of Homeland Security programs used by states to verify voter registration rolls and citizenship records.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon recently said federal reviews of voter registration databases uncovered hundreds of thousands of potentially ineligible registrations involving deceased individuals, duplicate records and noncitizens.
Democrats and voting rights groups have continued arguing voter fraud remains statistically rare in US elections while criticizing broader efforts to tighten registration requirements.
