DOJ Aims to Revoke Citizenship of Ex-North Miami Mayor Amid Fraud Allegations
MIAMI — The Department of Justice has initiated proceedings to revoke the U.S. citizenship of Philippe Bien-Aime, the former mayor of North Miami, citing significant discrepancies in his identity and immigration history during the naturalization process.
On Wednesday, federal attorneys filed a denaturalization case against Bien-Aime in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, according to court documents.
Bien-Aime, originally from Haiti, became a U.S. citizen in 2006 and was elected mayor in 2019. He stepped down in 2022 to pursue a position on the Miami-Dade County Commission but was unsuccessful in that election.
The DOJ's civil complaint, which has been reviewed by various news outlets, alleges that Bien-Aime entered the United States in 1997 using a fraudulent passport under the alias Jean Philippe Janvier. This passport was reportedly altered to misrepresent his identity.
In a ruling dated July 31, 2000, an immigration judge found that Bien-Aime had entered the country unlawfully and ordered his removal to Haiti. Although he initially appealed this decision, he later withdrew the appeal, claiming he had returned to Haiti. However, federal authorities assert that he remained in the U.S. under his current name.
Records from the Department of Homeland Security, including fingerprint analyses, indicate that the individual who naturalized as Philippe Bien-Aime is indeed the same person previously ordered removed under the name Philippe Janvier.
Peterson St. Philippe, Bien-Aime's attorney, stated that they are currently reviewing the complaint and will respond to the allegations through appropriate legal channels. “As this is a pending litigation, we will not be commenting further at this time,” St. Philippe remarked.
This case emerges amid heightened efforts by the Trump administration to revoke citizenship from foreign-born individuals as part of a broader immigration control agenda.
Denaturalization is a complex and protracted process, often taking years to resolve. Even when federal authorities target an individual for denaturalization, subsequent deportation proceedings can extend even longer.
If successful in their pursuit to strip Bien-Aime of his citizenship, significant legal and political implications could arise regarding his tenure in office.
According to North Miami’s city code, candidates for office must be qualified electors—meaning they must be U.S. citizens eligible to vote and registered at that time. Registration requires U.S. citizenship.
Additionally, the complaint alleges that Bien-Aime married a U.S. citizen to obtain permanent resident status; however, prosecutors claim this marriage is invalid due to his prior marriage to a Haitian citizen. The divorce certificate he provided to immigration authorities is alleged to be fraudulent.
“United States citizenship is a privilege grounded in honesty and allegiance to this country,” stated U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones of the Southern District of Florida in a recent news release. “If proven, we will ask the Court to revoke a status that was never lawfully obtained.”
