Trending Now - Ex-kansas Mayor Faces Deportation After Illegal Voting Arrest

WHO:

CNN - Joe Ceballos, former mayor of Coldwater, Kansas

CNN - Jess Hoeme, Ceballos' attorney

CNN - Kris Kobach, Kansas Attorney General

CNN - Trump administration, Republicans, supporters of Ceballos

WHAT:

CNN - Trump has been pushing Republicans in Congress to pass the SAVE Act, which would require documented proof of U.S. citizenship to register and vote.

CNN - Ceballos was charged with voting illegally and election perjury, but he has not been convicted of any kind of voter fraud, according to his attorney Jess Hoeme.

CNN - Ceballos now fears he could be deported after being taken into custody by immigration authorities.

CNN - Ceballos admitted during a citizenship interview in 2025 that he had voted, not knowing that green card holders do not qualify to vote.

CNN - Ceballos pleaded guilty to disorderly election conduct, described as a misdemeanor similar to disturbing the peace.

CNN - Ceballos' supporters held signs reading “We Support Mayor Joe” and “ICE Out” during his appearance at the federal building in Wichita.

CNN - Ceballos stated, “Thinking what could happen — it’s just kind of crazy,” expressing his nervousness about the situation.

CNN - Joe Ceballos was taken into custody by immigration authorities after admitting to voting illegally.

CNN - Ceballos resigned as mayor in December while facing state charges for voting as a noncitizen.

CNN - Ceballos pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in April as part of a deal with the Kansas attorney general.

CNN - Ceballos was charged with voting illegally and election perjury.

CNN - Ceballos was encouraged to register to vote at age 18 during a school field trip.

WHERE:

CNN - Ceballos was detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Wichita, Kansas.

CNN - Coldwater, Kansas, population 700, where Ceballos served as mayor.

WHEN:

CNN - Ceballos was born in Mexico and brought to the U.S. at age 4.

CNN - Ceballos won a new term as mayor in November.

CNN - Ceballos pleaded guilty to disorderly election conduct in April.

WHY:

CNN - Ceballos voted while being a legal permanent resident, not knowing that green card holders do not qualify to vote.

CNN - The Trump administration has been warning about noncitizens voting in elections since the beginning of the 2024 presidential election.

HOW:

CNN - Ceballos' lawyers plan to seek his release on bond from an immigration judge.

CNN - The Trump administration has upgraded a program within Homeland Security to check citizenship, which at least 25 states have used to verify voter rolls.

(UPDATED May 14, 2026 23:19 UTC)

Trump is urging Republicans in Congress to advance the SAVE Act, which mandates documented proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration. Meanwhile, Ceballos has been charged with voting illegally and election perjury, although his attorney, Jess Hoeme, states he has not been convicted of any voter fraud. Ceballos' legal team is preparing to request his release on bond from an immigration judge.

(UPDATED May 14, 2026 13:28 UTC)

Ceballos is now facing the possibility of deportation after being taken into custody by immigration authorities, following his admission during a citizenship interview in 2025 that he had voted, unaware that green card holders are not eligible to vote. He pleaded guilty to disorderly election conduct, a misdemeanor akin to disturbing the peace, while his supporters rallied outside the federal building in Wichita holding signs that read “We Support Mayor Joe” and “ICE Out.” Ceballos expressed his anxiety about the situation, stating, “Thinking what could happen — it’s just kind of crazy,” as his lawyers prepare to seek his release on bond from an immigration judge.

(UPDATED May 14, 2026 11:45 UTC)

Joe Ceballos, the former mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, has been taken into custody by immigration authorities after admitting to voting illegally while being a legal permanent resident. Ceballos, who resigned as mayor in December while facing state charges for voting as a noncitizen, pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in April as part of a deal with Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. His lawyers are now planning to seek his release on bond from an immigration judge, as the Trump administration continues to emphasize the issue of noncitizen voting in elections.