Food and politics clearly don’t mix... The owner of a Texas restaurant group that celebrates Donald Trump is facing immigration enforcement. Here’s everything you need to know.
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Launched in 2020 in Bellville, Texas, the Trump Burger establishment was created as a loving nod to the president and as an excuse to sell Trump-stamped burger buns.
Described as a patriotic restaurant, filled with Trump memorabilia, the fast-food chain has grown to include four other outlets across the state - furthering the reach of its politically themed menu. Which includes the First Lady Chicken Sandwich, in case you were wondering.
However, the patty party could be over, as the co-owner of the Trump Burger chain, Roland Beainy, is reportedly (and somewhat ironically) being investigated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - the controversial agency central to Donald Trump’s intensifying immigration crackdown.
Beainy, originally from Lebanon, is facing deportation over his Green Card status, amid claims he provided false information on an immigration application.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed that Beainy is being looked into, telling Newsweek that the government "does not tolerate immigration fraud."
Beainy, 28, reportedly entered the US in 2019 and claims to own 50 per cent of the restaurant chain Trump Burger.
He was detained earlier this year, before being released on bond pending immigration proceedings.
The Department of Homeland Security alleges Beainy applied for legal status through a woman he had purported to marry. However, DHS said there is no proof Beainy lived with the woman during the alleged marriage, reported the Fayette County Record.
"USCIS revoked the petition after evidence, including admissions from the petitioner's own family, exposed his marriage as a sham designed to game the system," the statement read. "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."
Beainy's immigration hearing is scheduled for 18 November in Houston, Texas.
