Mexican Green Card Holder And Ex-Kansas Mayor Pleads Guilty To Illegal Voting
Jose "Joe" Ceballos, a Mexican Green Card holder and former two-term mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, pleaded guilty this week to three counts of disorderly election conduct for illegally voting, and now faces removal from the United States. Jose "Joe" Ceballos pleaded in state court, and federal immigration officials say deportation proceedings are likely. DHS officials have flagged the case as subject to removal.
Prosecutors say Ceballos falsely checked a box claiming U.S. citizenship on a Kansas voter registration form and later denied claiming citizenship on a U.S. naturalization application. Kris Kobach's office brought the prosecution. Records show Ceballos received a green card in 1990, has a 1995 battery conviction, and filed for U.S. citizenship in February. DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis credited the Trump-era SAVE program for flagging the case and tied the detection to support for the SAVE America Act voter ID proposal.
The episode traces back to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, system that screens immigration status against voter rolls and other records. State officials say SAVE flagged Ceballos' registration, prompting the Kansas probe and charges brought by the state attorney general. DHS officials say SAVE has identified more than 24,000 potential noncitizens on voter rolls since April 2025.
Ceballos' guilty plea resolves the criminal case but starts immigration steps that could lead to removal. The case joins broader debate over voter-roll integrity and the use of federal immigration databases to screen registrants.
Show source details & analysis (2 sources)
đ Key Facts
- Former two-term Coldwater, Kansas mayor Jose 'Joe' Ceballos pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly election conduct in a prosecution brought by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach's office.
- Prosecutors say Ceballos falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on a Kansas voter registration form and later denied ever claiming citizenship on a U.S. naturalization application.
- The SAVE program, a Trump-era DHS verification system, was credited by DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis with flagging Ceballos's case and was explicitly tied by officials to support for the SAVE America Act voter ID legislation.
- DHS says the SAVE system has identified more than 24,000 potential noncitizens on voter rolls since April 2025.
- Background details reported include that Ceballos was issued a green card in 1990, has a 1995 battery conviction, and applied for U.S. citizenship in February.
đ° Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies the defendant as Jose 'Joe' Ceballos, former two-term mayor of Coldwater, Kansas.
- Details that Ceballos pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly election conduct in a prosecution brought by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach's office.
- Reports that he falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on a Kansas voter registration form and later denied ever claiming citizenship on a U.S. naturalization application.
- Quotes DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis crediting the Trump-era SAVE program for flagging the case and explicitly tying it to support for the SAVE America Act voter ID legislation.
- Provides a DHS figure that since April 2025 the SAVE system has identified more than 24,000 potential noncitizens on voter rolls.
- Notes Ceballos was issued a green card in 1990, has a 1995 battery conviction, and applied for U.S. citizenship in February.