A Mexican national has been found guilty of illegal voting in a U.S. election, having falsely claimed citizenship. This case, involving Jose Ceballos Armendariz, might lead to his deportation under federal law, as confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Mr. Ceballos-Armendariz, who has been a legal permanent resident with a green card since 1990, pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly election practices. The Kansas Attorney General’s Office prosecuted him for voting illegally on multiple occasions and for misrepresenting his citizenship status on voter registration forms. Notably, he stated he was a U.S. citizen in a 1999 application.
In February 2025, he applied for U.S. citizenship, but on that application, he claimed he had never asserted U.S. citizenship before, which contradicts his earlier voter registrations. Officials pointed out that he had marked “yes” on a Kansas voter registration form confirming his U.S. citizenship.
Under federal law, making false claims about citizenship can potentially result in deportation, though DHS has not specified what actions might be taken in this instance. Lauren Biss, the Acting Assistant Secretary of DHS, commented on the conviction, emphasizing the importance of the SAVE program to ensure election integrity.
Interestingly, despite acknowledging his false claims while registering to vote, Ceballos-Armendariz answered “no” on his naturalization application regarding any prior claims of citizenship. It’s worth noting that he has a prior conviction for assault.
Election integrity has been a key focus for former President Donald Trump, with officials claiming that actions like these are part of efforts to prevent noncitizen voting. Current laws, particularly the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, clearly prohibit noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
Biss reiterated the critical nature of election security, advocating for legislation that mandates photo identification for voters to protect elections from fraud. According to DHS, over 24,000 potential non-U.S. nationals have been identified on voter rolls since April 2025, highlighting the ongoing efforts to ensure proper verification and integrity in the voting process.
