i recently booted up an old save game where i completed the stormcloak's side and i ran into some thalmor. wouldnt they have been kicked out of skyrim after the empire was defeated?

Bandits are illegal, too. The Thalmor are kicked out of the cities and attacked wherever Stormcloak guards are found. But they can still hide.

Stormjokes can't actually rule their own cities, never mind push the Thalmor out of the province!

No politics aren't that simple considering how embedded they where uprooting the empire wouldn't completely cast them out. You have to take into account trade routes and strategic alliances. When you add the fact that Nords are scared of magic it's a surprise to me there aren't more. I wouldn't be surprised if they go into it more in a DLC.

there's a pretty big reason for this.


That said, I've only done the Imperial side of things

Because they are the Master Race.