The Trump administration said Feb. 20 it has filed court papers to strip a former elected official in Florida of U.S. citizenship for allegedly committing fraud during the naturalization process.

The civil legal process against former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime was initiated months after the federal government made a policy announcement.

In June 2025, the government said it would begin prioritizing the denaturalization of foreign-born citizens who either “illegally procured” naturalization or procured naturalization by “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.”

Bien-Aime, a native of Haiti, used two identities to secure immigration benefits and eventually obtain U.S. citizenship after unlawfully entering the United States, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) said in a statement.

CIS said the fraud was confirmed by comparing the fingerprints he provided while using the two identities, as part of a joint project carried out by CIS and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

CIS alleged that before he became a U.S. citizen using the name Philippe Bien-Aime, the individual used a fraudulent passport with a switched photo to come to the United States under the name Jean Philippe Janvier. As Janvier, he was ordered deported. He later withdrew his appeal and represented that he had returned to Haiti.

In reality, according to CIS, he remained in the United States, used a new name and birthdate, and was married to a U.S. citizen to procure permanent resident status. The marriage was invalid because he was already married to a citizen of Haiti. He also made various false statements during the immigration and naturalization process and became a U.S. citizen in 2006 using the Bien-Aime identity, CIS alleged.

The DOJ said in a statement that a legal complaint was filed Feb. 18 with the U.S. District Court in Miami to launch the denaturalization proceeding against Bien-Aime. Miami-based U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said U.S. 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,” Quiñones said in the DOJ statement.

“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,” he added.

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Brett Shumate said the Trump 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,” he said in the statement.

The Epoch Times reached out for comment to Bien-Aime. No reply was received by publication time.

This article by Matthew Vadum appeared Feb. 21, 2026, in The Epoch Times.