DOJ Seeks to Revoke Miami Mayor’s U.S. Citizenship After Alleged Naturalization Fraud
The Department of Justice has filed a civil denaturalization case seeking to strip former North Miami official Philippe Bien-Aime of his U. S. citizenship, a move that could reverberate through local politics and legal records. The Miami Mayor matter matters now because federal prosecutors say the case rests on alleged identity fraud and immigration misrepresentations tied to his naturalization.
Miami Mayor: Development details
Federal attorneys lodged the denaturalization complaint on Wednesday in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The DOJ alleges Bien-Aime, who was naturalized in 2006 and is originally from Haiti, first entered the United States in 1997 using a fraudulent, "photo-switched" passport under the name Jean Philippe Janvier. An immigration judge determined on July 31, 2000, that the entry was fraudulent and ordered removal to Haiti. Bien-Aime appealed that removal at the time but later withdrew the appeal while representing that he had returned to live in Haiti; prosecutors assert he instead remained in the United States under the name Philippe Bien-Aime.
Department of Homeland Security records, including fingerprint comparisons, show that the individual who was later naturalized as Philippe Bien-Aime is the same person previously ordered removed under the name Jean Philippe Janvier, the complaint states. The filing also alleges that Bien-Aime married a U. S. citizen and obtained permanent resident status, but that marriage was invalid because he was already married to a Haitian citizen and that he presented a fraudulent divorce certificate to immigration authorities.
Peterson St. Philippe, an attorney for Bien-Aime, said the defense is reviewing the complaint and will respond "through the appropriate legal channels" and will not comment further while litigation is pending. U. S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones of the Southern District of Florida emphasized the government's position, saying, "United States citizenship is a privilege grounded in honesty and allegiance to this country. If proven, we will ask the Court to revoke a status that was never lawfully obtained. "
Context and escalation
Bien-Aime won election as North Miami mayor in 2019 and resigned the post in 2022 to run for a seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission, an effort that was not successful. The DOJ action comes amid an expansion of federal denaturalization efforts tied to broader immigration enforcement priorities. Denaturalization is a civil process with a high legal bar; the complaint notes the process can be lengthy and time-consuming, and that even if the government succeeds, a subsequent removal proceeding could take additional years.
What makes this notable is the intersection of criminal immigration history, identity allegations and public office: North Miami’s code requires candidates to be qualified electors, which means being a U. S. citizen eligible to vote and registered at the time of candidacy. If the government prevails, that outcome would raise legal and political questions about eligibility and votes cast while Bien-Aime held public office.
Immediate impact
The immediate parties affected are Bien-Aime and the federal and local authorities now engaged in litigation. The complaint is a civil filing and places Bien-Aime’s naturalization status at the center of court proceedings. Concrete consequences could include revocation of citizenship if the court finds the government’s allegations proven; federal officials note that a revocation could lead to deportation proceedings that would follow the denaturalization determination and likely extend over multiple years.
The filing has prompted a formal legal response from Bien-Aime’s counsel, while federal investigators point to DHS fingerprint comparisons as central evidence. The case also places municipal election rules and past votes under renewed scrutiny because citizenship is a prerequisite for voter registration and candidacy under city law.
Forward outlook
The case will proceed in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The defense has stated it will respond through legal channels; the DOJ will pursue the civil denaturalization claim and, if successful, the government could pursue removal. No trial dates or further court scheduling appear in the complaint, and officials note the denaturalization and any subsequent immigration actions can take years to resolve.
The broader implication is that this filing is part of a larger federal push to identify instances where prosecutors believe naturalization was obtained through material misrepresentations, a push that can lead to protracted litigation with significant legal and civic consequences for the individuals involved.
