The former mayor of Coldwater remains in the Chase County Jail under custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jose Ceballos had lived in Coldwater since 1985 after being born in Mexico. Ceballos’ legal team had said Ceballos believed he could vote because he had a green card and was a legal permanent resident. He was elected as Coldwater’s mayor in 2021 and then won re-election this past November. However, his voting status came under scrutiny after he said he had voted for President Donald Trump despite being a non-citizen at the time of his vote. Ceballos resigned his mayor’s position this past December.
Ceballos turned himself in to immigration officials in Wichita last week. He had pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly election conduct on April 20, receiving a suspended sentence and a $2,000 fine while avoiding charges of election fraud. He faces deportation back to Mexico.
