Federal prosecutors are reportedly trying to strip U.S. citizenship from former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime over allegations of a decades-long identity deception.
The Department of Justice filed denaturalization charges Wednesday in federal court, claiming Bien-Aime unlawfully entered the United States in 1997 using a fraudulent "photo-switched" passport under the alias Jean Philippe Janvier, NBC News reported. An immigration judge ordered his removal in 2000, but authorities alleged he never left, instead disappearing into a new identity as Philippe Bien-Aime.
Fingerprint comparisons confirm the same individual was previously ordered deported and later naturalized as a citizen in 2006, according to court documents. Bien-Aime went on to win election as North Miami mayor in 2019 before resigning two years later.
Bien-Aime allegedly married a U.S. citizen while still married to someone in Haiti, and presented bogus divorce papers to immigration authorities to obtain permanent residency.
His attorney, Peterson St. Philippe, stated the defense is "in the process of reviewing the complaint" and will respond "through the appropriate legal channels," declining further comment on the pending case.
If the case is successful, it could invalidate Bien-Aime's entire tenure in office, since North Miami's city code requires candidates to be registered citizens.
