A Mexican national has been convicted for illegally voting in a U.S. election and for falsely claiming to be a citizen. He now faces potential deportation due to federal immigration laws.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Jose Ceballos Armendariz, a legal permanent resident with a green card since 1990, has pleaded guilty to three election interference charges. These charges were brought about by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office.
Officials noted that Mr. Ceballos-Armendariz voted unlawfully during several elections and inaccurately declared his citizenship on voter registration forms, including one from 1999 where he stated he was a U.S. citizen.
Interestingly, he applied for U.S. citizenship in February 2025, falsely asserting on the application that he had never claimed U.S. citizenship before.
Federal immigration law states that false claims of U.S. citizenship can lead to deportation for noncitizens, but DHS has not specified what actions they may take in this situation.
“This individual has now been convicted of voting illegally in a U.S. election,” stated Lauren Biss, acting assistant secretary of DHS. “The SAVE program is crucial for state and local governments to uphold the integrity of elections nationwide.”
DHS records reviewed show Ceballos-Armendariz marked “yes” on a Kansas voter registration form regarding his citizenship and signed a declaration affirming that the information was correct. However, he later denied ever having claimed U.S. citizenship on a naturalization application, despite his previous registration.
In addition, Ceballos-Armendariz has a prior conviction for assault, dating back to 1995.
Election integrity has been a major focus for the Trump administration. Officials emphasize that cases like this are part of a larger initiative to prevent noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections.
Federal law under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) prohibits noncitizens, including legal permanent residents, from participating in elections for federal offices.
“Nothing is more important than the integrity and security of our elections,” Biss remarked. She noted that the Trump administration has continually urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, aiming to enforce photo identification requirements for voters and other measures to mitigate election fraud. “Our elections should belong to Americans, not foreigners.”
Despite the provisions of IIRIRA, over 24,000 potential non-U.S. nationals have been identified on voter rolls through the SAVE program since April 2025 and referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for investigation.
Officials reported that more than 60 million voter verification queries were processed during this period, indicating the system’s importance in verifying citizenship and preventing voter fraud. They are advocating for its broader implementation across the country.
