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    Pro-Trump Mayor Accused Of Illegally Voting As A Noncitizen

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Missvain, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    A small-town Kansas mayor who has supported President Donald Trump for years is now facing serious felony charges after state prosecutors allege he voted in multiple elections despite not being a U.S. citizen.

    The New York Times this week highlighted the case of Joe Ceballos, the recently re-elected mayor of Coldwater, Kansas — a rural community of just 687 residents — who is now charged with multiple counts of voter fraud-related crimes.

    Ceballos, 55, is facing three counts of election perjury and three counts of voting without being qualified under Kansas law. Prosecutors say he illegally cast ballots while holding permanent resident status rather than full citizenship.

    “Nobody ever told me that I couldn’t vote or register to vote,” Ceballos told The Times. “And so, as a young man, yeah, I did it. I registered.”

    A Case Raising Broader Questions About Election Integrity

    The case arrives at a time when election security and voter eligibility remain central concerns for many Americans, particularly Republicans who argue that citizenship requirements must be enforced to protect the integrity of U.S. elections.

    While instances of noncitizen voting are considered rare, conservatives have long maintained that even isolated cases undermine trust in the system — and that laws already on the books should be applied consistently.

    Ceballos was born in Mexico and moved to the United States at age four, according to the report. He later obtained a green card in 1990. Ceballos said he believed that being a lawful permanent resident allowed him to vote.

    “His defense, essentially, is that he did not understand that being a permanent resident should have precluded him from voting and holding office, and that no one ever told him he was not eligible,” the paper wrote.

    Citizenship Application Triggered Investigation

    Ceballos said his legal troubles began last year when he applied to become a U.S. citizen. During the process, he admitted to a federal official that he had previously voted.

    “His eyes got real big, and I was like, ‘Boy, did I do something wrong?’” Ceballos recalled.

    That admission reportedly halted his citizenship application and alerted Kansas officials, setting off the investigation that ultimately led to criminal charges.

    If convicted, Ceballos could face up to 68 months in prison and a $200,000 fine.

    “This alien committed a felony by voting in American elections,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said about Ceballos.

    Trump Supporter Says He Doesn’t Belong in “Criminal” Category

    Ceballos acknowledged voting for Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and said he still supports much of the president’s immigration agenda — particularly efforts to remove violent criminals from the country.

    “I still strongly believe in Trump’s immigration laws about, ‘Let’s get the bad guys out of here,’” he said. “You know, they’re murderers, they killed people, they molested people, let’s get them out of here.

    “But I feel like I don’t fit that category,” he added. “And I feel like that’s how they’re treating me.”

    His comments reflect a broader debate within the immigration discussion: Republicans often emphasize the difference between legal immigrants who follow the process and those who break the law — while also insisting that voting is a right reserved only for American citizens.

    Small Town Residents Rally Around Mayor

    Coldwater residents told The Times they view the prosecution as a “personal attack on a pillar of the town.” Ceballos was overwhelmingly re-elected last year by a margin of 101 votes to 20.

    Supporters argue the case is a tragic example of confusion over complex immigration and election laws, while critics say citizenship rules are clear and must be upheld regardless of intent.

    SAVE Act and Growing Push for Proof of Citizenship

    The case comes as Trump has backed the SAVE Act, legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections — a measure Republicans argue is common sense and necessary to restore confidence in elections.

    Democrats such as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have criticized the proposal, calling it discriminatory, but polling consistently shows strong public support for voter identification requirements.

    CNN data analyst Harry Enten noted that surveys dating back to 2018 show at least 75% of Americans support voter ID laws, including a 2024 figure showing 83% approval.

    “Normally, you might expect… a big divide by party,” Enten said. “But not really here.”

    Sen. Susan Collins recently became the 50th lawmaker to signal support for the bill.

    In an exclusive comment to The Maine Wire, Sen. Collins said she supports the current version of the SAVE Act.

    Collins said she will support the version of the SAVE Act that has now cleared the House, calling it a “simple reform” aimed at strengthening confidence in federal elections.

    “The law is clear that in this country only American citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections. In addition, having people provide an ID at the polls, just as they have to do before boarding an airplane, checking into a hotel, or buying an alcoholic beverage, is a simple reform that will improve the security of our federal elections and will help give people more confidence in the results,” she said.

    Collins said that her support hinges on changes made to the legislation. She said she previously opposed an earlier draft that would have required voters to prove their citizenship each time they cast a ballot.

    “Requiring voters to produce passports or birth certificates on election day — as opposed to just a state-issued ID — would have placed an unnecessary burden on the voters. That provision is no longer in the bill and dropping this requirement was key to getting my support.”

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    ICE Tracking App Maker Sues Over Trump Administration Pressure

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    President Donald J. Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on immigration and border security at the U.S. Border Patrol Calexico Station Friday, April 5, 2019, in Calexico, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

    The creator of ICEBlock—an iPhone app designed to alert users to the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers—has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming federal officials violated his free-speech rights by urging Apple to pull the app from its store.

    Joshua Aaron, the developer behind the app, contends in his complaint that building, distributing, and promoting ICEBlock is “First Amendment-protected speech.” He alleges that Attorney General Pam Bondi and other administration officials engaged in a coordinated “pressure campaign” to force Apple to remove the app, calling the effort an unlawful act of censorship.

    “We’re basically asking the court to set a precedent and affirm that ICEBlock is, in fact, First Amendment-protected speech and that I did nothing wrong by creating it,” Aaron told The Associated Press on Monday. “And to make sure that they can’t do this same thing again in the future.”

    The lawsuit also asks a federal judge to bar any criminal prosecution of Aaron, citing what he describes as “unlawful threats” from Bondi, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons, and White House Border Czar Tom Homan—all of whom, according to Aaron, indicated they would investigate him for creating the app.

    He told the AP that one of his motives for suing is “to basically have them stop threatening myself and my family.”

    Why the App Was Removed

    Apple removed ICEBlock and similar apps in October after Bondi publicly warned that the tools endangered federal immigration officers by allowing the public—including individuals seeking to evade law enforcement—to monitor ICE activity in real time.

    Bondi defended the removal in a Fox News interview, arguing that Aaron’s app could compromise officer safety. “He’s giving a message to criminals where our federal officers are. And he cannot do that,” she said. “And we are looking at it, we are looking at him, and he better watch out, because that’s not protected speech.”

    Broader Context: Trump’s Immigration-Enforcement Strategy

    The dispute comes amid the Trump administration’s continued efforts to restore aggressive federal enforcement of immigration law—an agenda that has been a central pillar of the president’s policy platform. ICE has been directed to prioritize arrests of criminal offenders, expand cooperation with local law-enforcement agencies, and counter efforts by progressive “sanctuary” jurisdictions to obstruct federal operations.

    Officials like Noem, Homan, and Bondi have repeatedly emphasized the dangers facing ICE officers on the ground. From hostile sanctuary-city policies to the rapid spread of mobile apps that help individuals avoid lawful apprehension, the administration argues that these challenges make it more difficult to enforce immigration laws and protect communities.

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    Federal Judge Finds Probable Cause To Hold Trump In Contempt

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    7

    A federal judge said Wednesday that he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for failing to return two planes deporting migrants to El Salvador last month.

    In the 48-page opinion, Judge Boasberg said the court had ultimately determined that the Trump administration’s actions on the March 15 deportation flights, which took place after he issued a bench ruling ordering their immediate return to U.S. soil, demonstrate a “willful disregard” for the court that is sufficient for the government to be found in criminal contempt.”

    U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered the Justice Department in a filing Wednesday to answer additional questions by April 23 if they want to “purge” the contempt.

    Fox News reports:

    That would involve identifying the individuals responsible for what he described as “contumacious conduct,” and by “determining whose ‘specific act or omission’ caused the noncompliance,” Boasberg said. 

    The Justice Department could then request that the contempt be prosecuted by an attorney for the government and, should they decline to prosecute the matter, could “appoint another attorney to prosecute the contempt.”

    “The Court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given Defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions,” the judge continued. “None of their responses has been satisfactory…”

    “As this Opinion will detail, the Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt,” Boasberg said Wednesday.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Trump To Sign Order To Prepare Guantanamo Bay For 30K Prisoners

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0
    President Donald J. Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on immigration and border security at the U.S. Border Patrol Calexico Station Friday, April 5, 2019, in Calexico, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

    President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would sign an executive order for the Pentagon to prepare Guantanamo Bay to detain 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens.”

    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    “Today I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said. “Most people don’t even know about it.”

    He said they need 30,000 beds to house the detainees, adding that putting them there will ensure they do not come back.

    “It’s a tough place to get out of,” Trump added.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Trump Greenlights ‘Largest Deportation Operation’As Unrest Spreads

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    By U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/ero, Public Domain,

    President Trump is doubling down…

    Over the weekend, President Trump announced ICE must “expand efforts to detain and deport” illegal immigrants in “America’s largest [c]ities,” including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.”

    The president’s comment came in a Truth Social post on Sunday evening after a week of anti-ICE protests that have taken place in major cities across the country, with most demonstrations remaining peaceful while others turned into violent riots in places like LA and Portland.

    “Our Nation’s ICE Officers have shown incredible strength, determination, and courage as they facilitate a very important mission, the largest Mass Deportation Operation of Illegal Aliens in History,” Trump wrote. “Every day, the Brave Men and Women of ICE are subjected to violence, harassment, and even threats from Radical Democrat Politicians, but nothing will stop us from executing our mission, and fulfilling our Mandate to the American People.”

    “ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” the president added.

    The immigration protests began in LA on June 7, after local ICE raids resulted in hundreds of arrests.

    The president immediately deployed the National Guard to the area when protests started two weeks ago, garnering criticism from Democrats insisting their presence would only escalate tensions.

    As the protests and riots expanded nationally, continuing into this weekend, violence also took hold of certain crowds, injuring both federal and local law enforcement officials, as well as demonstrators. 

    On Saturday, an innocent bystander was fatally shot during an organized protest in Salt Lake City, Utah, when two event peacekeepers in neon vests opened fire on a suspect, Arturo Gamboa, 24, who ran toward the crowd with a rifle, and ended up shooting the wrong person.

    In spite of the protests, Trump doubled down on his efforts to deport illegal immigrants in his Sunday post.

    “In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside,” he said. “These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.”

    He added that he wants ICE officers “to know that REAL Americans are cheering [them] on every day.”

    “The American People want our Cities, Schools, and Communities to be SAFE and FREE from Illegal Alien Crime, Conflict, and Chaos,” he wrote. “That’s why I have directed my entire Administration to put every resource possible behind this effort, and reverse the tide of Mass Destruction Migration that has turned once Idyllic Towns into scenes of Third World Dystopia. Our Federal Government will continue to be focused on the REMIGRATION of Aliens to the places from where they came, and preventing the admission of ANYONE who undermines the domestic tranquility of the United States.”

    The Trump administration called for a halt on deportation raids on agricultural sites, hotels and restaurants, and not to arrest “noncriminal collaterals” the New York Times reported. The move came out of fears that the sweeping raids were hurting key industries in the U.S.

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    Report: Appeals Court Blocks Trump Admin’s Deportation Flights

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Image via Pixabay

    A federal appellate court declined to issue a stay on a lower court’s orders in a suit challenging the Trump administration‘s authority to deport Venezuelan nationals via a 1798 wartime law. 

    In a 2-1 decision Wednesday, a three-judge panel sided with the plaintiffs in the suit, further blocking the Trump administration’s ability to move forward with its deportation agenda. 

    Judges Karen Henderson, Patricia Millett, and Justin Walker of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals presided over Monday’s oral arguments, which they agreed to hear last week on an expedited basis. 

    In a concurring opinion of the ruling, Henderson, a Bush appointee, said: “At this early stage, the government has yet to show a likelihood of success on the merits. The equities favor the plaintiffs. And the district court entered the TROs for a quintessentially valid purpose: to protect its remedial authority long enough to consider the parties’ arguments.

    “Accordingly, and for the foregoing reasons, the request to stay the district court’s TROs should be denied.”

    Their decision could ultimately be kicked to the Supreme Court for further review.  

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    ICE Leadership Shakeup Exposed Growing Fractures Within Homeland Security Department

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    6

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is undergoing a sweeping leadership shakeup within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as tensions rise over how aggressively the agency should pursue deportations.

    According to four senior DHS officials, the changes affect ICE field offices in at least eight major cities, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Denver, Portland, Philadelphia, El Paso, and New Orleans. Many of those posts will now be filled by Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials — a move insiders describe as an unprecedented realignment of power within the department.

    The overhaul underscores growing divisions within DHS over deportation priorities. One faction, led by Border Czar Tom Homan and ICE Director Todd Lyons, favors focusing enforcement on criminal aliens and those with final deportation orders. Another group — including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino — has pushed for a broader, more assertive approach to immigration enforcement, arguing that all individuals in the country illegally should be subject to removal.

    “ICE started off with the worst of the worst, knowing every target they are hitting, but since Border Patrol came to LA in June, we’ve lost our focus, going too hard, too fast, with limited prioritization,” one senior DHS official told Fox News. “It’s getting numbers, but at what cost?”

    Another official put it more bluntly:

    “ICE is arresting criminal aliens. They [Border Patrol] are hitting Home Depots and car washes.”

    Border Patrol agents have defended the expanded strategy, saying it reflects the mandate voters expected from the Trump administration’s promise to restore border security and enforce immigration law.

    “What did everyone think mass deportations meant? Only the worst?” one Border Patrol agent told Fox News. “Tom Homan has said it himself — anyone in the U.S. illegally is on the table.”

    A DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement that while there are no formal announcements of personnel changes, “the Trump administration remains laser focused on delivering results and removing violent criminal illegal aliens from this country.”

    Broader Context: Trump Administration’s Enforcement Push

    The leadership reshuffle comes as deportation numbers remain below internal targets set earlier this year, according to DHS officials. The Trump administration has emphasized that its immigration enforcement policies are designed to uphold the rule of law and deter illegal border crossings — a key promise from the 2016 campaign that continues to resonate with many Republican voters.

    Former President Donald Trump and his allies have long argued that consistent enforcement, rather than selective deportations, strengthens national security and discourages future unlawful entry. Many GOP leaders, including members of Congress and state governors, have defended the administration’s approach as necessary to restore deterrence and public safety after what they describe as years of lax border control.

    Supporters point to prior surges in illegal crossings as evidence that limited enforcement under past administrations only encouraged more unlawful migration. They also note that under Trump, ICE was instructed to prioritize criminal offenders but retain authority to arrest any undocumented immigrant encountered during operations.

    The shakeup — replacing ICE field chiefs with seasoned Border Patrol leaders — signals the administration’s intent to centralize authority and speed up deportations ahead of new immigration enforcement goals expected later this year.

    “These moves are about accountability and results,” one DHS official said. “We’re not changing direction — we’re doubling down.”

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    Judge Rebuked Twice By Supreme Court Deals New Blow To Trump Immigration Agenda

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2

    A federal judge already twice rebuked by the Supreme Court is back at it—this time blocking the Trump administration from ending legal protections for thousands of Ethiopian migrants.

    Judge Brian Murphy, a Biden appointee in Massachusetts, temporarily halted the administration’s plan to strip temporary protected status (TPS) from more than 5,000 Ethiopians—a move that would have made them deportable within 60 days.

    Murphy said the Department of Homeland Security didn’t follow the law when it pulled the plug on the program.

    That ruling lands right in the middle of the administration’s broader push to shrink TPS and tighten immigration enforcement.

    But it also lands on a judge with a track record.

    Murphy has repeatedly tried to block Trump-era deportation policies—especially efforts to send migrants to third countries. The Supreme Court has stepped in twice to reverse him, even issuing a rare 7–2 clarification saying he ignored its orders. An appeals court also shut down one of his more recent rulings just last month.

    Critics say this is more of the same.

    “This rogue judge lacks the subject matter jurisdiction to issue this order,” Sen. Eric Schmitt said. “The assault on the rule of law continues.”

    Legal analyst Jonathan Turley piled on, warning that “this system cannot function with such rogue operators at the trial level.”

    Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan pointed to what he sees as a fundamental problem: the law itself.

    “One big problem for Murphy is the statute: It explains TPS determinations aren’t reviewable. Another is the Supreme Court, which has stopped similar orders twice,” Wessan said. “He finds neither statute nor SCOTUS stops him. I’m unconvinced.”

    Murphy, for his part, insists he’s not defying the high court. He noted that the Supreme Court hasn’t fully explained its recent TPS-related rulings—and hasn’t stepped in on every similar case.

    “There is no reason to assume” the justices have settled the issue, he wrote.

    The lawsuit behind the ruling claims the administration’s TPS rollback isn’t just procedural—it’s discriminatory. Lawyers for the plaintiffs argue the policy is aimed at reducing non-white immigration, writing that the effort targets “the nationals of majority Black countries” in particular.

    The Justice Department is expected to appeal, setting up yet another round in a growing legal fight between the Trump administration and a judge who keeps standing in its way.

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    Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Admin. From Deporting Migrants To Guantanamo Bay

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    7

    A federal court on Sunday issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from sending three Venezuelan immigrants held in New Mexico to the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp.

    Lawyers for the trio said in a legal filing that the detainees “fit the profile of those the administration has prioritized for detention in Guantánamo, i.e. Venezuelan men detained in the El Paso area with (false) charges of connections with the Tren de Aragua gang.”

    In the filing, the lawyers asked a U.S. District Court in New Mexico for a temporary restraining order to block the administration from flying them to the U.S. military base. The lawyers noted that “the mere uncertainty the government has created surrounding the availability of legal process and counsel access is sufficient to authorize the modest injunction.”

    The filing came as part of a lawsuit on behalf of the three men filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and Las Americas Immigrant Advisory Center.

    Judge Kenneth J. Gonzales granted the temporary restraining order, according to attorney Jessica Vosburgh, who represents the three men.

    “It’s short term. This will get revisited and further fleshed out in the weeks to come,” Vosburgh told The Associated Press.

    Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt separately said that flights carrying detained illegal immigrants had been sent to Guantánamo.

    Immigrant rights groups sent a letter on Friday demanding access to people who are now being held at the U.S. naval station, arguing that the base should not be used as a “legal black hole.” Guantánamo has been criticized around the world for its inhumane abuse and torture of detainees, including interrogation tactics.

    The immigrants are being held in the Guantánamo detention camp that was set up for detainees in the aftermath of 9/11. The immigrants are separated from the 15 detainees who were already there, including planners in the 2001 terrorist attack.

    Trump has promised to expand the detention camp to hold up to 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens.”

    Supreme Court Rules Wrongfully Deported Man Must Return To US

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national living in Maryland, from an El Salvador prison.

    Abrego Garcia, 29, was deported to the El Salvadoran mega-prison last month for being an alleged MS-13 gang member, however, his attorneys maintain he does not have any gang ties. Garcia’s wrongful deportation has triggered an onslaught of criticisms from both sides of the aisle. (RELATED: IRS, DHS Reach Game-Changing Agreement For Trump Immigration Agenda)

    The Supreme Court sided with U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis who initially ordered federal officials to coordinate Garcia’s return back to Maryland in a Monday order, calling his deportation “wholly unlawful.”

    Fox News reports:

    “On March 15, 2025, the United States removed Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia from the United States to El Salvador, where he is currently detained in the Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT),” the order states. “The United States acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador, and that the removal to El Salvador was therefore illegal.” 

    Justice Sonia Sotomayor said she “would have declined to intervene in this litigation and denied the application in full.”

    “Nevertheless, I agree with the Court’s order that the proper remedy is to provide Abrego Garcia with all the processes to which he would have been entitled had he not been unlawfully removed to El Salvador,” Sotomayor wrote. “That means the Government must comply with its obligation to provide Abrego Garcia with ‘due process of law,’ including notice and an opportunity to be heard, in any future proceedings.”

    The Justice Department responded to the order in a statement to Fox News in a statement. 

    “As the Supreme Court correctly recognized, it is the exclusive prerogative of the President to conduct foreign affairs,” the statement says. “By directly noting the deference owed to the Executive Branch, this ruling once again illustrates that activist judges do not have the jurisdiction to seize control of the President’s authority to conduct foreign policy.”

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