The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the U.S. District Court in Miami against Phillipe Bien-Amie, also known as Jean Philippe Janvier. According to officials, Bien-Amie, a native of Haiti and former mayor of North Miami, allegedly used two identities to obtain immigration benefits and ultimately U.S. citizenship after entering the country illegally.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division stated, “This Administration will not permit fraudsters and tricksters who cheat their way to the gift of U.S. citizenship. The passage of time does not diminish blatant immigration fraud.”
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida added, “United States citizenship is a privilege grounded in honesty and allegiance to this country. The complaint alleges that this defendant built his citizenship on fraud — using false identities, false statements, and a sham marriage to evade a lawful removal order. The fact that he 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. The rule of law requires nothing less.”
According to court documents, before becoming a citizen under the name Philippe Bien-Aime, he entered the United States with a fraudulent passport under another identity and was placed in removal proceedings in 2001 under that name. Although he withdrew his appeal against removal by claiming he had returned to Haiti, authorities allege he remained in the U.S., married an American citizen while still married in Haiti—rendering his marriage invalid—and used this relationship to secure permanent residency.
The complaint outlines several grounds for revoking his naturalization: being subject to a final removal order at the time disqualified him from both permanent residency and naturalization; his adjustment status was based on fraud; and he provided false information during official interviews about his background and eligibility.
Authorities say Bien-Aime’s use of two identities was uncovered through fingerprint comparisons as part of an ongoing national initiative called the Historic Fingerprint Enrollment project—a joint effort between the Justice Department and USCIS.
The investigation involved USCIS from the Department of Homeland Security and is being handled by attorneys from both agencies’ litigation units.
Officials emphasized that these are allegations only; no determination regarding liability has been made at this stage.
For more information or access to related court documents about case number 26-cv-21064, visit www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
