DHS Records Used in Voter Fraud Case Against Kansas Mayor and Green Card Holder
A new report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released documents supporting the criminal case against a Kansas city mayor accused of casting ballots despite only holding a green card and not U.S. citizenship.
Why It Matters
Concerns about voter fraud have remained politically charged ever since Donald Trump and his allies claimed there was widespread cheating in the 2020 presidential race, arguing that such issues cost him the election. Dozens of lawsuits filed in multiple states to substantiate those claims largely failed in court, and a 2022 report by eight prominent Republican judges and lawyers concluded that the election Joe Biden won was not “stolen.”
What To Know
DHS on Thursday released documents tied to the charges against Jose “Joe” Ceballos-Armendariz, 54, who was recently reelected as mayor of Coldwater, Kansas.
On November 5, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced that his office had filed six counts against Ceballos: three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury.
According to DHS, Ceballos is a Mexican citizen who has lived in the United States for decades and first obtained a green card in 1990. He applied for U.S. citizenship in February.
Over the years, forms that DHS released appear to show Ceballos representing himself as a U.S. citizen. When he later applied for naturalization, he stated that he had never claimed to be a citizen, but also acknowledged that he had registered to vote or voted in U.S. elections. DHS additionally noted that he was convicted of battery in 1995.
Local outlet KAKE reported that following his reelection, the city of Coldwater convened a special meeting to address the charges. Officials have not yet made a decision on what steps to take.
Coldwater City Council President Britt Lenertz told KWCH that Ceballos has “done a wonderful job” in his roles on the city council and as mayor, saying he “always puts our community first in everything he does.”
Kobach has long advocated for proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting, though Kansas’ law mandating such proof was struck down in 2018.
Under Kansas law, election perjury and voter fraud are classified as nonperson felonies, each carrying potential prison sentences of up to five years.
What People Are Saying
Coldwater City Council President Britt Lenertz told KAKE that city leaders are focused on continuity of services while the case moves forward:
“At this time, our focus remains on ensuring that city operations continue to run smoothly and that the needs of our community are met. While the recent allegations involving the mayor are understandably concerning, we will allow the proper legal process to take its course before making any further comments. It’s important that we respect both due process and the integrity of our local government.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a Thursday statement that Ceballos broke the law by participating in U.S. elections as a noncitizen. She said that if he is convicted, he will be placed in removal proceedings. McLaughlin credited access to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program—expanded to states under President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem—as a key tool for helping state and local governments protect election integrity, adding that U.S. elections “belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens.”
Kobach said in a statement earlier this month that Kansas law clearly bans noncitizens from voting. “We allege that Mr. Ceballos did it multiple times,” he said, arguing that voting by noncitizens—whether they are in the country legally or illegally—is “a very real problem” because every unlawful vote “effectively cancels out a U.S. citizen’s vote.”
What’s Next
Lenertz told the Kansas Reflector that the Coldwater City Council is seeking legal guidance on how to proceed and what might happen if Ceballos is ultimately ruled ineligible to continue serving as mayor. She added that, despite the uncertainty, council members remain focused on keeping city government running efficiently and meeting residents’ needs.
