Roland Mehrez Beainy, a co-owner of the Texas-based Trump Burger chain, is facing deportation after federal authorities said he remained in the United States long after his visa expired.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the 28-year-old, originally from Lebanon, entered the country in 2019 on a non-immigrant visitor visa and overstayed. ICE agents arrested Beainy on May 16 and placed him in detention. On June 13, an immigration judge granted him bond as his deportation case moves through the courts.
The Lebanese owner of “Trump Burger” in Houston has been arrested by ICE for overstaying his visa and now faces deportation.
Thoughts and prayers.
pic.twitter.com/JBrVeuIW5J— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) August 8, 2025
The case has attracted attention due to Beainy’s role in a restaurant chain known for its overtly pro-Donald Trump branding. The first Trump Burger location opened in Bellville, Texas, in 2020 and has since expanded to other towns, featuring menu items and décor celebrating the former president. The brand’s political theme has drawn both loyal customers and strong criticism, making Beainy a local figure known as much for his MAGA-themed dining rooms as for the burgers themselves.
According to court and immigration records, Beainy’s legal troubles began with his visa overstay, but they have since been compounded by additional allegations. Federal investigators have accused him of attempting to remain in the United States through a fraudulent marriage intended to secure legal residency.
USCIS denied his petition after determining there was no evidence he lived with his spouse and after relatives of the woman told authorities the marriage was not legitimate. Those claims have not yet been proven in court, and Beainy has denied the bulk of the allegations against him, telling reporters that most of what is being said is untrue.
🚨 ICE JUST ARRESTED THE OWNER OF TRUMP BURGER.
The owner, Roland Mehrez Beainy, is an undocumented immigrant from Lebanon who originally entered the country on a visitor visa and never left. pic.twitter.com/5QAaPGDhs3
— Micah Erfan (@micah_erfan) August 8, 2025
In addition to his immigration case, Beainy has faced separate legal challenges related to his business operations. He has been involved in disputes with former partners and landlords, including litigation over the use of the Trump Burger brand name and the operation of certain locations. One of the chain’s restaurants has since been rebranded, while others continue to operate under the original name.
The arrest has sparked interest not only because of the political identity of the brand, but also because of the irony that its co-owner is now the subject of enforcement by the same immigration system often praised by supporters of the former president. ICE officials have made clear that the agency applies immigration law equally, regardless of political affiliation or public profile.
Beainy’s bond release in June allows him to remain in the United States temporarily while his case proceeds. His next immigration court hearing is scheduled for November 18, when a judge will consider whether he should be removed from the country or granted relief. Until then, he is free under court-imposed conditions, though his future in the United States remains uncertain.
For now, the Trump Burger chain continues to operate, though the legal turmoil has shaped its public image, and it’s hard to see Trumpers getting behind it. Whether the business will survive the publicity and the possibility of Beainy’s deportation remains to be seen.
The case is another example of the strict enforcement of immigration laws under the Trump administration and the potential consequences for individuals regardless of whether they wear a MAGA hat or not.
