"U.S. authorities are seeking to strip the citizenship of a former South Florida mayor accused of entering the country with a false passport, lying about his identity for 30 years, and committing bigamy to obtain legal status. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit last week in a Miami federal court to denaturalize Philippe Bien-Aime, a Haitian national, who served as mayor of North Miami from 2019 until he ran for a County Commission seat in 2022."
"A Justice Department memo from last year directs the department's Civil Division to prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by evidence, marking a more aggressive approach to denaturalization enforcement. The memo notes that priority should be given to certain categories, ranging from individuals linked to terrorism, espionage, and war crimes to those who made false statements."
"The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has warned that this policy represents a significant shift in the use of denaturalization, which historically has been applied very rarely. From the 1990s until 2017, the average number of cases was 11 per year; a figure that increased considerably during the first Trump administration."
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit to denaturalize Philippe Bien-Aime, a Haitian national who served as mayor of North Miami from 2019 to 2022. He is accused of entering the United States with a false passport, lying about his identity for three decades, and committing bigamy to obtain legal status. This case reflects a Trump administration initiative to revoke citizenship from individuals who allegedly obtained it illegally or through fraud. A Justice Department memo directs aggressive pursuit of denaturalization cases across all permitted categories, including those involving false statements. The American Immigration Lawyers Association warns this represents a significant policy shift, as denaturalization was historically rare, averaging 11 cases annually from the 1990s to 2017. Critics express concern that broad enforcement priorities may result in citizenship revocation for individuals who committed no illegal acts.
#denaturalization #immigration-fraud #citizenship-revocation #justice-department-enforcement #false-documentation
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