Ex-Mayor Pleads Guilty to Voting Without Citizenship

0:00It's April 20th, I'm Cory with the story. This is Kansas News Today, driven by AI. Former Mayor Joe Sabalos of Cold Water Kansas just pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of voting without U.S. citizenship. This twice-elected leader from the small southern Kansas town grabbed national attention after state attorney general Chris Kobach hid him with voter. Fraud charges. Sabalos came from Mexico as a four-year-old back in 1975, holding a green card as a permanent resident, but never becoming a citizen. He says he honestly thought permanent residents could vote, and the charges got downgraded from felonies to misdemeanors because prosecutors saw no intent to break the law. Local showed up strong in court to back him. He's a popular catteranter in the community. His lawyer calls the plea deal fair, with one-year probation, a six-month jail term that suspended plus a $2,000 fine and court. Fees The big question hangs over whether this affects his residency status or sparks deportation.

1:03Officials hinted at removal if it stayed a felony, but the lawyer hopes immigration authorities look past it, seeing Sabalos as a solid guy who's lived here most of his life. This case spotlights non-citizen voting debates nationwide, pushing for fairness and how rules apply without overreach, leaving everyone watching what. Those next per folks like him.