Roland Mehrez Beainy, the 28-year-old Lebanese owner of the Trump Burger chain in Texas, has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and faces deportation. Beainy entered the US as a non-immigrant visitor in 2019 and was required to leave by February 12, 2024, according to an ICE spokesperson.
ICE stated that Beainy applied for legal status after allegedly marrying a woman, but the Department of Homeland Security found no evidence he ever lived with her. He was arrested on May 16 and placed in immigration proceedings. ICE's statement emphasized that enforcement applies regardless of one's business or political beliefs.
Beainy denied the charges, telling the Houston Chronicle, 'Ninety percent of the shit they’re saying is not true.' He is scheduled for an immigration court hearing on November 18. Trump Burger, known for its pro-Trump memorabilia and satirical menu items, gained attention after opening in Bellville, Texas, in 2020.
Beainy's case is not unique; other Trump supporters have faced immigration enforcement. A Canadian national supporting mass deportations was detained in California, and an Armenian Iranian woman with a green card was incarcerated after a burglary conviction. Beainy also faces a legal dispute with a landlord, who renamed a location Maga Burger after alleging unpaid debts.
