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A co-owner of a Trump-branded burger chain in Texas is facing deportation as officials allege that the Lebanese national overstayed his visa, engaged in “sham” marriages and has a criminal record that includes an assault charge.
The 28-year-old restaurateur, Roland Mehrez Beainy, entered the United States in 2019 as a non-immigrant visitor and remained in the country illegally when his visa expired in February 2024, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Fox News Digital on Saturday.
Beainy – who currently operates Trump Burger locations in Houston, Bellville, Flatonia and Kemah – opened the first restaurant in Bellville in 2020 but was never authorized to use the Trump name or branding, according to local reports. The Trump Organization, President Donald Trump’s private business, sent the Bellville location a cease-and-desist letter earlier this year, The Fayette County Record reported.
Officials said Beainy’s political leanings won’t shield him from President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
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People line up to order food at Trump Burger on July 28, 2022, in Bellville, Texas. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
“Despite false claims to the contrary, Roland Mehrez Beainy does not have any immigration benefits that prevented his arrest or removal from the United States,” an ICE spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Saturday. “Under the current administration, ICE is committed to restore integrity to our nation’s immigration system by holding all individuals accountable who illegally enter the country or overstay the terms of their admission. This is true regardless of what restaurant you own or political beliefs you might have.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said officials revoked Beainy’s petition for immigration status after members of his own family admitted that his marriage was “a sham designed to game the system.”
“The Department of Homeland Security has zero tolerance for immigration fraud, and this individual’s claims are baseless,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement Saturday. “This person has no Green Card, a history of illegal marriages, and an assault charge. DHS is actively pursuing all legal avenues to address this flagrant abuse of our immigration laws.”
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A customer picks up her cheeseburgers branded with “Trump” at Trump Burger on Thursday, July 28, 2022, in Bellville, Texas. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
Beainy has denied the allegations, calling them “not true” in a statement to the Houston Chronicle.
The restaurateur was arrested by ICE in May and placed into immigration proceedings, but was granted bond in June, the agency said, adding that his deportation case will continue to proceed through the courts.
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People walk out of Trump Burger on Thursday, July 28, 2022, in Bellville, Texas. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
Beainy’s burger chain has been embroiled in branding conflicts and other business disputes this year.
In February, attorneys for the Trump Organization sent Trump Burger a cease-and-desist letter accusing it of “misleading the public into falsely believing that your business is affiliated with the Trump Organization or endorsed by our clients,” according to The Fayette County Record.
“We were surprised to learn that you have been flagrantly infringing upon the Trump Organization’s valuable and well-established intellectual property right by operating at least three restaurants under the Trump name and brand,” the letter read.
The company demanded Beainy stop using the Trump brand, scrub all references from marketing materials, and provide “a full accounting of all revenues” generated from the alleged misuse, The Fayette County Record reported, adding that the letter warned of legal actions if demands were not met.
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In a separate matter in June, the restaurant sued its Kemah, Texas, landlord, Archie Patterson, who allegedly forced staff out and took control of the location, according to the Houston Chronicle. Patterson responded with his own lawsuit accusing Beainy of unpaid debts, the outlet added.
The Trump Organization and the attorney representing Beainy, Geoffrey S. Binney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on Saturday.