Man Claiming A Former Jamaican PM Is His Father Faces Deportation Despite Evidence Of U.S. Birth

By News Americas Now Staff Writer

News Americas Now, NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 27, 2026: A 39-year-old man who claims to be the illegitimate son of a former unnamed Jamaican prime minister and a descendant of Lebanese royalty has been detained by U.S. immigration authorities since January, despite documentary evidence suggesting he was born in Florida.

The extraordinary case was uncovered in an investigation published today, Tuesday, October 27, by The Associated Press, which found no evidence supporting the man’s claims of Jamaican political parentage or Lebanese royal ancestry. Instead, AP uncovered records supporting his family’s contention that he is a U.S. citizen who should not be subject to deportation. The man, identified as Phillip James, who has also used the name Felibi Siagha-Coke, is being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Indiana while authorities seek to deport him to Jamaica.

Claims Linked To Mental Illness

According to AP, medical experts who evaluated James diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia and concluded that his assertions about Jamaican birth, political parentage and Lebanese ancestry were part of a deeply entrenched delusional belief system. One psychologist determined that James was not a reliable source of his own personal history because of the severity of his illness.

Yet immigration authorities relied heavily on his statements that he was born in Jamaica and entered the United States illegally in 2009. Jamaican officials have reportedly informed his attorneys that they have no record of his birth or citizenship in the country.

Florida Birth Records Raise Questions

AP reported that James was born in Orange County, Florida, in 1987 to an American mother and Jamaican father. A 1988 court document independently obtained by the news agency corroborated key information on his Florida birth certificate, including his parents’ identities and their residence.

James was issued a U.S. passport in 2008 and held a passport for approximately 15 years before the government revoked it. The Department of Homeland Security maintains that the birth certificate used to obtain his passport was fraudulent but provided no supporting evidence to AP.

Deportation Fight Continues

James was arrested following an immigration court hearing in January and ordered deported to Jamaica in April. His attorneys at the Bronx Defenders are challenging the deportation order and have filed a federal petition seeking his release.

The AP investigation raises broader concerns about the treatment of people with serious mental illness in immigration proceedings, particularly when their own statements conflict with documentary evidence of U.S. citizenship. DHS disputes James’ citizenship and maintains that individuals in removal proceedings receive due process.

A federal judge in Indiana is expected to rule on his detention challenge, while his deportation appeal remains pending.