Latest news with #PetitionforAlienRelative
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Trump Burger Co-Founder Detained By ICE, Could Face Deportation
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The co-founder of the Trump Burger restaurant chain in Texas faces potential deportation from the United States, after allegedly making inaccurate statements on an immigration application. Roland Beainy, one of the owners of the local burger chain named after President Donald Trump, was notified that he will have his green card revoked over suspected marriage fraud, while embroiled in lawsuits over the company. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson confirmed to Newsweek that Beainy was under investigation and said the government does not tolerate immigration fraud. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not responded to requests for more details on Beainy's immigration case. Newsweek reached out to Trump Burger Tuesday afternoon, with Beainy responding but deferring to his attorney, who is yet to respond with comment. Inset: Roland Beainy. Main: Diners place their orders at the Trump Burger restaurant in Bellville, Texas, on April 19, 2025. Inset: Roland Beainy. Main: Diners place their orders at the Trump Burger restaurant in Bellville, Texas, on April 19, 2025. Facebook/RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images Why It Matters Beainy jointly runs the pro-Donald Trump chain, with four locations in Texas, in support of Trump, who has made it clear that his administration will continue to take a tough stance on immigration enforcement, including the revocation of permanent residency from those who are seen to have committed crimes. What to Know U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) told a woman claiming to be Beainy's wife in East Bernard, Texas, on January 29 that his immigration status granted through an I-130 form, or Petition for Alien Relative, would be revoked. Beainy, a Lebanese national who moved to the U.S. around 2019, has not publicly commented on the reports. Trump Burger posted a meme to its Instagram story Monday showing the president with the words "You're fake news". What Is Trump Burger? Trump Burger is a small fast-food chain with four locations across Texas. It sells Trump-themed food, including the Trump Tower burger and the Melania Crispy Chicken, with Trump impersonators shown serving guests on the company's social media channels. The restaurant is not endorsed by the White House or the Trump Organization, with the Fayette County Record reporting that a cease-and-desist letter was recently sent to the owners asking them to stop using the Trump name and brand, accusing them of misleading the public. When one location opened in Houston in May, it received scathing reviews, with one reviewer saying it "consistent in blandness". People visit and dine at the Trump Burger restaurant in Bellville, Texas, on April 19, 2025. People visit and dine at the Trump Burger restaurant in Bellville, Texas, on April 19, 2025. RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/GETTY Who Are the Owners of Trump Burger? Roland Beainy is one of the owners of Trump Burger, with a reported 50 percent share, along with Bart and Dana Blakelock. Beainy had bought his share of the company from Iyad Abuelhawa, also known as Eddie Hawa, who started the original Trump Burger in Bellville. On April 16, Beainy reportedly sued Hawa claiming that he owns half the company, but Hawa countersued saying he never signed an agreement in January. Hawa is seeking $1 million in damages. Who Is Roland Beainy? Beainy is a Lebanese national who is believed to have held a U.S. green card. He describes himself as "the culinary tycoon" on his private Instagram profile. He also faces other lawsuits surrounding his business ventures, per the Record. He reportedly came to the U.S. in 2019 and applied for legal status in 2021 via the woman claiming to be his wife. USCIS is said to have found no lease documents or other evidence that Beainy was married to the woman who filed his immigration application. What People Are Saying A DHS Spokesperson told Newsweek: "The Department of Homeland Security has zero tolerance for immigration fraud, and this individual's claims are baseless. 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. "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." What's Next An immigration court hearing is scheduled for November 18.
Newsweek
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
ICE Deports Florida Pastor's Wife After 30 Years In US
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Federal immigration authorities deported the wife of a Florida pastor who has been living in the United States for nearly 30 years. Daniella Isidro said in a Facebook post that her mother, Maria Isidro, had been removed back to Mexico from their home in Live Oak, Florida. Newsweek has contacted the family and the Department of Homeland Security for comment. A file image shows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Baltimore Field Officer director Matt Elliston listens during a briefing, in Silver Spring, Maryland, on January 27, 2025. A file image shows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Baltimore Field Officer director Matt Elliston listens during a briefing, in Silver Spring, Maryland, on January 27, 2025. Alex Brandon/AP Why It Matters The case comes amid President Donald Trump's hardline crackdown on immigration. Under the Trump administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ramped up arrests across the country. The White House has maintained that anyone living in the country illegally is considered a "criminal." What To Know Maria Isidro initially came to the U.S. in 1998 to seek medical treatment for one of her children. At one point, she was subject to a removal order. "She was also shackled by wrist, stomach and ankles, leaving bruises on her," Daniella Isidro wrote on Facebook. "This is a [woman] who is loved by a huge community, a pastor's wife, a nana, a wita and our mom." She told ABC affiliate WCJB that her mother went to court for an update on her immigration case but was then held in an ICE detention center for over a week. According to WCJB, after Maria Isidro was detained by ICE, her daughters received a call on June 11, informing them that she had been transferred from a detention center in Texas to Mexico. "I had gone to work that day, and receiving the phone call that my mom had been detained was one of the hardest things I had to do," Daniella Isidro told WCJB. After arriving in the United States, Maria Isidro took steps to follow legal procedures to remain in the country, according to the Facebook post by her daughter. In an interview with CBS affiliate WCTV, the family said that they spent years working to secure Maria Isidro's citizenship and that she regularly met with the Department of Homeland Security to comply with requirements and avoid deportation. As reported by the Tallahassee Democrat, she was issued a removal order in 2004 but had been granted a "stay of deportation" each year since—a discretionary measure that can be revoked at any time. In 2023, she was approved for an I-130 petition, also known as a Petition for Alien Relative, which is a step toward obtaining legal status. What People Are Saying Maria Isidro's son, Jo Isidro wrote in a social media post: "She wasn't taken by illness. She didn't leave by choice. She was detained by ICE during what was supposed to be a routine immigration check-in. My mother is a Christian woman. A preacher's wife. A caregiver. A woman with no criminal record, who's always done things the right way. She showed up to every appointment. She trusted the system. And still, she was taken from us." The family wrote in a post on GoFundMe: "She has shown up to every check-in for over 20 years, always with documents in hand, never hiding, always doing things the right way. As anyone who has gone through this process knows, it is a lengthy and costly process."
