Federal authorities are accusing former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime of lying during the naturalization process in order to become a U.S. citizen — allegations that could now cost him that citizenship.

According to a 13-page civil complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and reviewed exclusively by NBC6, the government claims Bien-Aime “willfully misrepresented his identity and immigration history throughout the naturalization process.”

Court documents state that Department of Homeland Security records — including fingerprint comparisons — show that the person who naturalized as Philippe Bien-Aime is the same individual who was previously ordered removed from the United States under the name Philippe Janvier.

The complaint alleges that on July 31, 2000, an immigration judge determined that Janvier gained entry into the United States by fraud, specifically through the use of a photo-switched passport. The judge ordered him removed to Haiti.

However, the filing states there is no indication he ever left the United States as ordered.

The complaint further alleges that Bien-Aime was not eligible to obtain a visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen because his marriage was invalid.

Federal prosecutors accuse him of bigamy, claiming his Haitian divorce certificate was counterfeit and fraudulent.

Bien-Aime, originally from Haiti, was elected mayor of North Miami in 2019. Most recently, he ran unsuccessfully for the Miami-Dade County Commission.

NBC6 went to his North Miami home, but no one answered the door. When reached by phone, Bien-Aime declined to comment.

His attorney, Peterson St. Philippe, provided the following statement: “We are aware of the government’s filing and are in the process of reviewing it. We intend to respond through the appropriate legal channels. As this is a pending litigation, we will not be commenting further at this time.”

If the government succeeds in its effort to revoke Bien-Aime’s citizenship, it could raise legal and political questions about his time in office.

North Miami’s city code states that candidates seeking office must be qualified electors — meaning they must be citizens eligible to vote and registered at the time.

To register to vote, a person must be a U.S. citizen.

NBC6 has reached out to the City of North Miami for comment and is awaiting a response.

This is a developing story.