Newsweek & USA Today Among Outlets Citing FCR Reporting on Trump Burger Saga
Last week several national media outlets including USA Today, Newsweek and Fox News picked up the story about the Trump Burger co-owner who faces deportation, as first reported last month in The Fayette County Record.
On July 10, the Record reported on several lawsuits involving Roland Beainy, a Lebanese immigrant who claims to own a share of the Trump Burger location in Flatonia. Beainy also opened a Trump Burger location in Kemah, but he was later kicked off the lease for the property and is now involved in a lawsuit with the landowner. In addition, the Record reported that Beainy was under investigation by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for immigration fraud over an alleged “sham marriage.”
The story has attracted quite a bit of attention due to the restaurant chain’s theme of support for President Donald Trump and the President’s strong stance against illegal immigration.
Beainy declined to comment on the story for the Fayette County Record. However, he told Chron.com last week, referring to the immigration probe, that “90 percent of the … they’re saying is not true.”
A spokesman for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued the following statement last week concerning Beainy’s case: “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. Beainy is a 28-year-old illegal alien from Lebanon who entered the United States in 2019 as a nonimmigrant visitor, but he failed to depart by Feb. 12, 2024, as required under the terms of his admission. ICE officers arrested him on May 16, 2025, and he was placed into immigration proceedings. On June 13, an immigration judge granted his request for bond while he undergoes his proceedings.”
The spokesman continued: “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 Record was also the first to report on a cease and desist letter that the Trump Organization sent to Trump Burger, demanding that the owners stop using Donald Trump’s name and image as part of their business. The new management at the Kemah location has since rebranded as “MAGA Burger.”
Despite the legal troubles, the Flatonia location has applied for a license to sell alcohol. A legal notice for the license appears on page B4 in today’s paper, with Beainy listed as one of the managers.