The United States Department of Homeland Security announced on Apr. 22 that Jose Ceballos, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty and was convicted of voter fraud after unlawfully voting multiple times and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on voter registration forms. Ceballos also misrepresented his citizenship status on his application for U.S. citizenship.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal and state authorities to ensure the integrity of American elections by preventing non-citizens from voting. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Ceballos pleaded guilty to three counts of Disorderly Election Conduct following prosecution by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office.
Ceballos was previously granted a green card in 1990 and applied for U.S. citizenship in February 2025. He had a prior conviction for battery in 1995.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, “This alien has now been convicted of illegally voting in American elections.” Bis added, “The SAVE program is a critical tool for state and local governments to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country. President Trump has been unequivocal: Nothing is more fundamental than the integrity and security of our elections. That’s why the Trump Administration has repeatedly called on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act — commonsense legislation that requires voters to present photo ID and implements other critical measures to protect federal elections from fraud. Our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens.”
Since April 2025, more than 24,000 cases have been identified by the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program as potential non-U.S. citizens appearing on voter rolls; these cases have been referred for further investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations division. Over sixty million voter verification queries have been processed through an updated version of SAVE since April 2025 as part of efforts led by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
USCIS stated it remains committed to helping eliminate voter fraud by ensuring only eligible citizens participate in federal elections and continues urging all states to adopt use of SAVE.
