Through an investigation effort led by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the US Justice Department, federal authorities are seeking to revoke the US citizenship of former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime. The joint effort resulted in the filing of a civil denaturalisation complaint in the US District Court of Miami, Florida, this week, as per the Department of Justice’s press release dated February 20, 2026.
Also known as Jean Philippe Janvier, the former North Miami mayor is a native of Haiti and has been accused of using multiple identities to acquire immigration benefits, and subsequently his US citizenship, according to the USCIS. The DOJ also believes that he illegally entered the United States.
Immigration fraud accusations against former North Miami mayor
According to the USCIS and DOJ, Bien-Aime’s was red-flagged after a comparison of fingerprints (under the national initiative called the Historic Fingerprint Enrollment Project) that he provided under two identities. The authorities further revealed that the ex-North Miami mayor used a fraudulent, photo-switched passport to come to the US under the name Jean Philippe Janvier before becoming a US citizen under the name Philippe Biene-Aime.
Back in 2001, he was placed in removal proceedings and ordered removed under the Janvier identity. Although he first appealed the removal, he eventually withdrew the appeal, reflecting that he had returned to Haiti. However, Biene-Aime was still in the US, using the new name and date of birth.
He even married a US citizen to obtained permanent resident status. According to the DOJ and USCIS, the marriage was marriage as he was already wedded to a Haitian citizen. During adjustment and naturalisation proceeding, he continued making false and and fraudulent statements, and finally naturalised in 2006 under the Bien-Aime identity.
As per the complaint cited by the USCIS press release, Bien-Aime is said to have counted on illegal measure to obtain naturalisation for various reasons. Since he was subjected to a removal order, thereby disqualifying him from naturalisation and precluded the former Immigration Naturalisation Service from considering his application for PR status.
Thereafter, his removal order stopped USCIS from considering his naturalisation application and granting US citizenship. He is also not believed to have lawfully ad