Roland Mehrez Beainy, the 28-year-old owner of a Donald Trump-themed hamburger chain in Texas, has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and faces deportation. Beainy, originally from Lebanon, entered the US as a non-immigrant visitor in 2019 and was required to leave by 12 February 2024, according to an ICE spokesperson.
ICE officers arrested Beainy on 16 May, five years after he opened the first Trump Burger location in Bellville, Texas. The agency stated that Beainy applied for legal status after purportedly marrying a woman, but the Department of Homeland Security found no evidence he ever lived with her during the alleged marriage. ICE said it is committed to holding accountable those who overstay their admission terms, regardless of restaurant ownership or political beliefs.
Beainy denied the charges in remarks to the Houston Chronicle, saying, “Ninety percent of the shit they’re saying is not true.” He is tentatively scheduled for an immigration court hearing on 18 November. The chain, which gained national attention for its pro-Trump memorabilia and satirical menu items, expanded to locations including Houston.
Beainy’s detention is not his only legal issue. He sued a landlord in Kemah, Texas, who he claimed forcibly removed staff and took over a Trump Burger location. The landlord countersued, alleging unpaid debts, and renamed the restaurant Maga Burger. In 2022, Beainy told the Houston Chronicle he had faced threats to have Trump Burger burned down but had since built a loyal following, with a portion of profits set aside to aid Trump’s fundraising.
