Overview:
The U.S. Division of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit searching for to revoke the citizenship of former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aimé. The federal prosecutors alleges that Bien-Aimé hid a previous deportation order and misrepresented his id throughout the naturalization course of.
NEW YORK—The US Division of Justice (DOJ) filed a swimsuit on Feb.18 searching for to revoke the citizenship of former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aimé. The swimsuit alleges that Bien-Aimé used a brand new final title to hide a previous deportation order when he utilized to change into a U.S. citizen, in line with a federal criticism filed in South Florida.
Bien-Aimé “willfully misrepresented his id and immigration historical past” to acquire citizenship, prosecutors mentioned within the 13-page complaint filed in Florida Southern District Court. They mentioned the person naturalized as Bien-Aimé is similar particular person beforehand ordered faraway from the U.S. below the title Philippe Janvier. Courtroom paperwork embody fingerprint comparisons and Division of Homeland Safety data linking the 2 identities.
The case, United States of America v. Bien-Aime, was filed earlier than Choose Ok. Michael Moore, in line with federal court docket data reviewed on-line. Within the filings, prosecutors say an immigration decide dominated on July 31, 2000, that Janvier had entered the U.S. fraudulently by utilizing a photo-switched passport. Nonetheless, the federal government contends, there is no such thing as a file that Janvier complied with that order.
Bien-Aimé had used the fraudulent passport, they mentioned, as a result of he was not eligible to acquire a visa because the partner of a U.S. citizen for the reason that marriage cited in his visa utility was invalid. The criticism accuses him of bigamy, stating {that a} Haitian divorce certificates submitted throughout the immigration course of was counterfeit.
A Port-au-Prince native, Bien-Aimé labored within the vehicle business for nearly 20 years earlier than becoming a member of political life. He served on the North Miami Metropolis Council because the District 3 Councilman and vice mayor, then was elected mayor of North Miami in 2019. After his mayoral tenure ended, he mounted an unsuccessful bid for the Miami-Dade County Fee.
If the federal government prevails, the case might carry vital authorized and political penalties since solely U.S. residents are allowed to vote and maintain workplace. North Miami’s metropolis code requires candidates to be certified electors, that means they have to be U.S. residents eligible to vote and registered on the time they qualify for workplace.
The Justice Division’s submitting consists of 20 reveals, amongst them a previous elimination order, an immigration listening to transcript, a naturalization utility and the disputed divorce data.
A federal summons was issued Wednesday, court docket data present.