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FIRST ON FOX: A Mexican national who voted illegally in the US election and falsely claimed to be a citizen has been convicted and could be removed under federal immigration law.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Fox News Digital that Jose Ceballos-Armendariz, a legal resident with a green card since 1990, pleaded guilty to three counts of Election Misconduct following a prosecution by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office.
Officials said Ceballos-Armendariz voted illegally multiple times and falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen on a voter registration form, including a 1999 application in which he verified his U.S. citizenship.
He later applied for US citizenship in February 2025. DHS said he lied on that application that he had never claimed to be a US citizen.
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Jose Ceballos-Armendariz pleaded guilty to voter fraud charges after authorities said he voted illegally and falsely claimed to be a US citizen, according to the Department of Homeland Security. (Department of Homeland Security)
Under federal immigration law, false claims of US citizenship can get a noncitizen removed, though DHS has not yet specified any possible action in this case.
“This alien has now been convicted of illegally voting in an American election, and voting in an American election,” said DHS Acting Secretary Lauren Bis. “The SAVE program is an important tool for state and local governments to protect the integrity of elections across the country.”
Records provided by DHS and reviewed by Fox News Digital show Ceballos-Armendariz checked “yes” when asked if he was a U.S. citizen on the Kansas voter registration form and signed to confirm the information was correct.
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Documents reviewed by Fox News Digital show that Jose Ceballos-Armendariz checked that he is a U.S. citizen on a Kansas voter registration form, which authorities say is false. (Department of Homeland Security)
On his citizenship application, however, he marked “no” when asked if he had ever claimed to be a US citizen, despite his prior registration to vote.
DHS said Ceballos-Armendariz also has prior felony convictions, having been convicted of battery in 1995.
President Donald Trump has made election integrity a priority of his administration, with officials pointing to enforcement actions like this case as part of a broader effort to prevent non-citizens from participating in US elections.
Existing federal law — 18 USC § 611: “Alien Voting” under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 — prohibits noncitizens, including legal permanent residents, from voting in elections for all federal offices.
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People gather in support of the SAVE America Act outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images, File)
“There is nothing more important than the integrity and security of our elections,” said Bis. “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 implement other critical measures to protect federal elections from fraud.
“Our election is for the citizens of America, not the citizens of other countries.”
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Without IIRIRA, as of April 2025, more than 24,000 potential non-US citizens have been identified on voter rolls through the SAVE program and referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for further investigation, according to DHS.
Officials say more than 60 million voter verification questions have been processed in that time.
Federal officials say the program allows states to verify citizenship status and prevent illegal voting, and they continue to encourage wider adoption across the country.
