The co-inventor of the ‘Trump Burger’ restaurant and sandwich has been detained by ICE three weeks after his business partner met the same fate.
While Roland Beainy, the co-founder of the restaurant, had his green card revoked and had been accused of immigration fraud, partner Iyad Muhammad Abuelhawa has a much darker criminal past.
Abuelhawa, a 55-year-old citizen of Jordan, had received a deportation order in 2009 and has spent time in federal prison for health care fraud and drug misbranding.
He faced his first conviction for assault in 2000 before running a phony flu shot scam in Texas.
‘While in the U.S. illegally, Abuelhawa has repeatedly put the lives of innocent Americans in jeopardy. In 2007, he was convicted of healthcare fraud and misbranding of a drug for dangerously injecting 1,600 Houston-area residents with fake flu shots,’ an ICE spokesperson said.
Abuelhawa was supposed to be deported after he got out of prison but was able to remain in the country and used the alias ‘Eddie Hawa.’
He and his wife Suad Hamedah rebranded his Bellville Cafe as the ‘Trump Cafe’ in 2016 when Trump first ran for president and went viral.
Abuelhawa’s first restaurant failed but he went into business in 2020 with Beainy on the Trump Burger joint which eventually became a chain.
The co-inventor of the ‘Trump Burger’ restaurant and sandwich has been detained by ICE three weeks after his business partner met the same fate
Iyad Muhammad Abuelhawa was finally arrested by ICE on June 2. Pictured: Photo of ICE arresting a Florida man earlier this year
The two men have since fell out and are currently entangled in at least four lawsuits, including a bitter feud over ownership of the Trump Burger brand itself.
Abuelhawa was finally arrested by ICE on June 2 ‘and will no longer be free to endanger anyone in the U.S. again,’ the ICE spokesperson added.
His attorney Jennifer Lopez told The Houston Chronicle that the processing center in Conroe, Texas he is being held in is denying Abuelhawa – a diabetic – insulin and blood sugar monitoring.
‘He’s not doing well. In my opinion, they’re waiting for him to die.’
Lopez also said that Abuelhawa was allowed to remain in America following the 2009 order ‘to multiple [government] agencies’ benefit’ but would not explain why.
A spokesperson for DHS told HuffPost that this was a lie.
‘Any claim that detainees are not being provided with proper medical care is FALSE,’ they said.
‘This is the best health care many aliens have received in their entire lives. Meals are certified by dietitians. Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.’
Roland Beainy (pictured), the co-founder of the restaurant, had his green card revoked and had been accused of immigration fraud
Beainy, a Lebanese immigrant who turned his loyalty to Trump into a MAGA-branded burger empire, has been accused of immigration fraud and notified by federal officials that his green card is being revoked.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Beainy is under investigation over what has been described as a ‘sham marriage’ designed to exploit US immigration laws.
The revelation has ignited controversy across Texas, where Beainy has helped build a chain devoted to Trump’s image complete with impersonators, burgers stamped with Trump’s name, and menu items mocking former President Biden.
But the restaurateur known for glorifying deportation policies is now entangled in a potential deportation case of his own.
An immigration court hearing has been set for November 18, where Beainy could be formally ordered to leave the country.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) informed a woman claiming to be Beainy’s wife that his I-130 application – the form used by American citizens to sponsor relatives for immigration status, would be revoked.
USCIS reportedly found no lease, joint accounts, or other proof that the two ever shared a life together.
Investigators say even the woman’s own family acknowledged the marriage was a ‘sham.’
Abuelhawa and his wife Suad Hamedah rebranded his Bellville Cafe as the ‘Trump Cafe’ in 2016 when Trump first ran for president and went viral. Abuelhawa’s first restaurant failed but he went into business in 2020 with Beainy on the Trump Burger joint which eventually became a chain
From its early days, Trump Burger was designed to be a monument to American bravado: red meat, big slogans and bigger portions
Beainy’s legal meltdown comes amid a torrent of litigation surrounding his beloved burger brand, Trump Burger which has grown to four Texas locations and features everything from the ‘Trump Tower Burger’ to the ‘Melania Crispy Chicken.’
The gimmick is pure MAGA kitsch with menu items named after Trump family members, burgers stamped with Trump’s name on the bun, and Trump impersonators roaming the dining rooms.
From its early days, Trump Burger was designed to be a monument to American bravado: red meat, big slogans and bigger portions.
It branded itself as unapologetically conservative and unabashedly pro-Trump down to the $50.99 ‘Biden Burger,’ which features a measly 1-ounce patty and is topped with ‘old tomato and our oldest buns available due to cheating and inflation.’
However, the ownership group behind the chain has faced myriad legal problems even before the deportation threat.
Beainy claims he purchased a 50% stake in the original restaurant from co-founder Iyad ‘Eddie’ Abuelhawa. But Abuelhawa denies there was ever a formal agreement and is countersuing Beainy, seeking $1 million in damages.
In a separate dispute, Beainy sued the property owner of Trump Burger’s Kemah location, Archie Patterson, after Patterson evicted him and changed the signage to read ‘MAGA Burger.’
Beainy’s former business partner, Beshara Janho, is also suing him for over $1 million in damages related to another venture.
But the most brutal blow has come from Trump himself.
In February, the Trump Organization sent a cease-and-desist letter to Beainy, demanding he stop using Trump’s name and image, citing potential consumer confusion and unauthorized brand use.
The restaurant is not endorsed by Donald Trump, the Trump family, or the Trump Organization.
Beainy’s immigration court hearing is scheduled for November 18, where a judge will determine whether the green card revocation stands and whether Beainy will be deported.
