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The co-owner of a burger chain in Texas that carries the Trump brand is facing deportation due to allegations of overstaying his visa, engaging in fraudulent marriages, and having a criminal record that includes an assault charge.
Roland Mehrez Beainy, a 28-year-old Lebanese national, entered the United States in 2019 as a non-immigrant visitor and continued to stay in the country illegally after his visa expired in February 2024, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Beainy, who currently runs Trump Burger locations in Houston, Bellville, Flatonia, and Kemah, opened the first restaurant in Bellville in 2020 without authorization to use the Trump name or branding, as reported by local sources. The Trump Organization, owned by former President Donald Trump, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Bellville location earlier this year, as reported by The Fayette County Record.
Officials emphasized that Beainy’s political affiliations will not protect him from President Trump’s enforcement of immigration laws.
Customers line up to order at Trump Burger in Bellville, Texas on July 28, 2022. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
“Despite false claims, Roland Mehrez Beainy does not possess any immigration benefits that would prevent his arrest or removal from the United States,” stated an ICE spokesperson. “ICE, under the current administration, is dedicated to upholding integrity in the nation’s immigration system by holding accountable all individuals who enter the country illegally or overstay their visas, regardless of their business ownership or political beliefs.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security revoked Beainy’s petition for immigration status after his family members admitted that his marriage was a fraudulent attempt to manipulate the system.
“The Department of Homeland Security has a zero-tolerance policy for immigration fraud, and the claims made by this individual are unfounded,” a DHS spokesperson stated. “This person lacks a Green Card, has a history of fraudulent marriages, and an assault charge. DHS is actively pursuing all legal avenues to address this blatant abuse of immigration laws.”
A customer picks up her Trump-branded cheeseburgers at Trump Burger in Bellville, Texas on July 28, 2022. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
Beainy has denied the allegations, calling them “false” in a statement to the Houston Chronicle.
Beainy was arrested by ICE in May and is currently in immigration proceedings. He was granted bond in June, and his deportation case will continue through the courts.
Customers exit Trump Burger in Bellville, Texas on July 28, 2022. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)
Beainy’s burger chain has been involved in branding disputes and other business conflicts this year.
In February, the Trump Organization’s attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump Burger, accusing them of misleading the public into thinking they were affiliated with the Trump Organization. The letter demanded that Beainy cease using the Trump brand, remove all references from marketing materials, and provide a full account of revenues generated from the alleged misuse.
In a separate incident in June, the restaurant filed a lawsuit against its landlord in Kemah, Texas, Archie Patterson, who allegedly evicted staff and took control of the location. Patterson countered with his own lawsuit, accusing Beainy of unpaid debts.
The Trump Organization and Beainy’s attorney, Geoffrey S. Binney, did not respond to requests for comment.
