Former North Miami Mayor Faces Shocking Bid to Revoke His U.S. Citizenship
A former mayor of North Miami is now at the center of a dramatic federal case that could strip him of his American citizenship and rewrite part of the city’s political history.
Federal prosecutors have filed a civil complaint against Philippe Bien-Aime, accusing him of lying about who he was and how he entered the United States when he applied to become a citizen. According to court filings, authorities say the man who became a naturalized U.S. citizen under the name Philippe Bien-Aime is the same person who years earlier had been ordered removed from the country under a different name, Philippe Janvier.
Investigators point to Department of Homeland Security records, including fingerprint comparisons, that they say connect the two identities. The complaint outlines a timeline that begins in the late 1990s, when Bien-Aime allegedly entered the country using a fraudulent passport. In 2000, an immigration judge ordered that individual removed to Haiti. Federal attorneys now argue there is no clear evidence he ever left, despite indicating at the time that he had returned.
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The case goes further. Prosecutors allege that when Bien-Aime later sought legal status through marriage to a U.S. citizen, the marriage was invalid because he was already married in Haiti. They claim the divorce documents presented to immigration officials were fraudulent. If those allegations are proven in court, the government says his citizenship, granted in 2006, was never lawfully obtained.
Bien-Aime, who was elected mayor of North Miami in 2019 and later ran for county office, has declined to comment publicly. His attorney says they are reviewing the complaint and will respond in court.
This is not a criminal trial, but a denaturalization case and those are rare and complex. The legal bar is high and the process can take years. Still, the implications are serious. If citizenship is revoked, questions could follow about eligibility requirements during his time in office. Local law requires elected officials to be U.S. citizens and registered voters.
Beyond one city in South Florida, this case touches on a broader national debate over immigration enforcement and the power of the federal government to revisit naturalization decisions years later. Citizenship is often described as one of the most secure legal statuses in the country. Cases like this test that assumption.
The courts will now decide whether the government can prove its claims. And the outcome could have lasting political and legal consequences. Stay with us for continuing coverage as this case moves forward and as the facts unfold in federal court.
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