Republican Kansas mayor resigns as he faces felony charges, possible deportation over alleged voter fraud

Coldwater, Kan. Mayor Joe Ceballos (R) has resigned from his position as he faces felony voter fraud charges and possible deportation from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The announcement was made on the City of Coldwater’s official Facebook page on Monday and signed by the Coldwater City Council.

Last month, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (R) announced three counts of felony voter fraud and three counts of election perjury against Ceballos, who did not deny that he has been illegally voting in U.S. elections for decades. Ceballos claims that he was under the impression he could legally vote as a permanent resident of the United States.

Ceballos applied for U.S. citizenship in February. The 54-year-old was originally born in Mexico, but he claims he has not been there since he was four. In a press release, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Ceballos would be placed in “removal proceedings” if he is convicted.

“This alien committed a felony by voting in American elections. 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,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “The SAVE program is a critical tool for state and local governments to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country. Our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens.”