Owner of Trump-themed burger place arrested, faces deportation for allegedly overstaying tourist visa

The owner of a Donald Trump-themed hamburger chain in Texas is facing deportation after he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.

Tourist visa expired in February 2024

According to the New York Post, Roland Beainy, who is from Lebanon, was found to have overstayed his non-immigrant tourist visa which expired in February 2024.

He had arrived in 2019 and opened his chain's first outlet in 2020.

A video posted by the chain on Jul. 5 showed a Trump impersonator at an outlet asking diners for their green card as a joke.

In response to media queries, the US Department of Homeland Security said:

"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."

An alleged sham marriage

The Houston Chronicle quoted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as further alleging that Beainy had also attemped to attain legal status through a marriage.

However, the department said there is no proof that Beainy had lived with the woman during the marriage.

His petition for immigration status was also revoked after his own family members admitted that the marriage was a "sham designed to game the system", DHS added.

They further highlighted:

"The Department of Homeland Security has zero tolerance for immigration fraud, and this individual’s claims are baseless.

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."

In a statement to the Houston Chronicle, Beainy said, "90 percent of the s**t they're saying is not true."

Top photo via Trump Burger Facebook