Trump Admin Alleges Former Florida Mayor Schemed To Become Citizen
Trump administration officials announced Friday that they filed a civil complaint to strip a former Florida mayor of his U.S. citizenship, accusing him of orchestrating a years-long immigration fraud scheme. The U.S…
Trump administration officials announced Friday that they filed a civil complaint to strip a former Florida mayor of his U.S. citizenship, accusing him of orchestrating a years-long immigration fraud scheme.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida said federal prosecutors filed a denaturalization complaint on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Miami against Philippe Bien-Aime, also known as Jean Philippe Janvier. Prosecutors allege the Haiti native used two separate identities to secure immigration benefits and ultimately obtain U.S. citizenship after illegally entering the country.
“This Administration will not permit fraudsters and tricksters who cheat their way to the gift of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The passage of time does not diminish blatant immigration fraud.”
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said the allegations cut to the core of the legal system.
“United States citizenship is a privilege grounded in honesty and allegiance to this country,” Reding Quiñones said. “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.”
Bien-Aime first entered the United States using a fraudulent “photo-switched” passport under the name Jean Philippe Janvier, according to the complaint. In 2001, immigration authorities placed him in removal proceedings and ordered him removed under that identity. He appealed the order but later withdrew the appeal, claiming he had returned to Haiti.