Green card-holding Mexican mayor of Kansas town voted illegally in US elections

Federal immigration officials and Kansas state prosecutors say the recently reelected mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, cast ballots in several elections he wasn’t allowed to vote in, a case that’s now moving quickly through the courts.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said this week that Jose “Joe” Ceballos-Armendariz, 54, had been living in the United States as a Mexican national since entering on a green card in 1990. According to DHS, he claimed to be a US citizen on voter registration forms and went on to vote in federal and local contests despite not being eligible.

Authorities say he also misstated his past on a naturalization application filed earlier this year.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s office filed charges in Comanche County last week. Ceballos-Armendariz is facing three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury, all classified as “nonperson felonies” under Kansas law. If found guilty, he could see more than five years behind bars and fines that may reach $200,000. His first court appearance is set for Dec. 3.

“In Kansas, it is against the law to vote if you are not a US citizen,” Kobach said in a Nov. 5 statement. “We allege that Mr. Ceballos did it multiple times.”

DHS officials said their review found that Ceballos-Armendariz denied ever claiming US citizenship when he submitted his February 2025 naturalization application.

The department also released images of voter documents it says show he falsely identified himself as a citizen. DHS noted he had a previous conviction for battery dating back to 1995.

“This alien committed a felony by voting in American elections,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for border and immigration policy. “If convicted, he will be placed in removal proceedings. President Trump and Secretary Noem gave states access to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to ensure only Americans vote in American elections.”

McLaughlin described the SAVE system, which lets state and local governments check federal immigration databases, as “a critical tool for state and local governments to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country.” She added, “Our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens.”

Kansas law requires that anyone running for a city office be a qualified elector and a resident of that city, according to Kobach’s office. But because municipalities have “home rule’’ authority, Coldwater officials will decide whether Ceballos-Armendariz can remain in office while the case plays out. Coldwater has roughly 700 residents, census data shows.

“This situation is absolutely unacceptable and, sadly, no surprise given the years of lax voting security in the United States,” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said.

Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in national elections, with penalties that can include prison time, fines, and eventual deportation. Some local jurisdictions allow noncitizens to vote strictly in local contests, but the DHS says that was not the case here.

Officials say more information will be presented in court next month, though the timing could still shift a bit as filings continue.