Federal prosecutors are seeking to revoke the U.S. citizenship of former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime, alleging he concealed key facts about his identity and immigration history to obtain naturalization.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a civil denaturalization complaint Feb. 18 in federal court in Miami. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore.
Prosecutors allege Bien-Aime used the name Jean Philippe Janvier when he entered the United States using a fraudulent, “photo-switched” passport.
According to the complaint, an immigration Judge ordered Bien-Aime removed from the country in 2001 under the Janvier identity. Officials say he withdrew an appeal of that decision while claiming he had returned to Haiti, but instead remained in the U.S. and later pursued lawful permanent residency under a different name.
Federal prosecutors contend Bien-Aime subsequently married a U.S. citizen to obtain immigration benefits, but the marriage was invalid because he was already married to another person in Haiti. Authorities allege he made numerous false statements during immigration proceedings, including denying he had been subject to a removal order and providing inaccurate information about his marital history, residences and children.
He ultimately became a naturalized citizen in 2006 using the Bien-Aime identity, according to court filings.
DOJ officials say fingerprint comparisons confirmed Bien-Aime and Janvier are the same person.
NBC 6 first reported on Bien-Aime’s issues Thursday.
“This Administration will not permit fraudsters and tricksters who cheat their way to the gift of U.S. citizenship,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said in a statement. “The passage of time does not diminish blatant immigration fraud.”
U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement that after “using false identities, false statements, and a sham marriage to evade a lawful removal order,” the fact that Bien-Aime later served as an elected Mayor “makes the alleged deception even more serious, because public office carries a duty of candor and respect for the rule of law.”
“If proven, we will ask the Court to revoke a status that was never lawfully obtained,” he said. “The rule of law requires nothing less.”
Bien-Aime’s case is part of a broader federal effort to increase denaturalization enforcement. A 2025 DOJ directive instructed attorneys to prioritize cases involving alleged fraud, national security threats and other serious violations. Historically, denaturalization actions have been rare, but federal officials have recently expanded enforcement efforts.
Bien-Aime was first elected to the North Miami City Council in 2013 and won the Mayor’s Office in 2019. He resigned in 2022 to run for Miami-Dade County Commission but lost that race to nonprofit executive Marleine Bastien.
In 2018, he was accused of sexual harassment and assault stemming from an alleged incident two years before, when a former staffer said he propositioned her. He settled out of court, but denied any wrongdoing.
