Immigration warrant puts Pratt Institute influencer at deportation risk after dine-and-dash arrests

(NEW YORK CITY) Pei-Yun “Lu” Chung, a 34-year-old self-styled food influencer from Taiwan, now faces possible deportation after a string of alleged dine-and-dash incidents at some of New York’s most expensive restaurants exposed that she had overstayed her student visa. Arrested several times in recent weeks on theft of services charges, Chung has also been issued an immigration warrant and is expected to be transferred to federal custody after her criminal court cases. The situation places her immigration future, and her carefully crafted online persona, in serious doubt.

Visa history and immigration warrant

Chung arrived in the United States in 2019 on a student visa to study at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute on a scholarship that reportedly expired in 2021. Authorities believe she stayed in the country after that date without legal status. According to the Department of Corrections, that overstay led officials to issue an immigration warrant once her repeated arrests brought her to their attention.

Immigration officers are expected to take her into custody after her current court appearances, setting up a likely hearing before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Allegations at high-end restaurants

Prosecutors say Chung targeted high-end venues, including Michelin-starred restaurants such as Misi and Francie, where she allegedly ordered costly tasting menus, cocktails, and extras before refusing to pay the final bill. Instead, she reportedly presented herself as a content creator whose Instagram account, with around 14,000 followers, could give the restaurants free publicity.

• Owners and staff told police she took photos of the dishes, lingered at the table, and then tried to leave.
• In some incidents she allegedly insisted that exposure on her page was enough compensation.
• These episodes formed the basis of multiple theft of services complaints.

Court records indicate the pattern continued even after initial arrests, arraignments, and supervised release orders. Despite facing criminal charges in New York, Chung kept posting about new restaurant visits, drawing puzzled reactions from people following the case online.

Her social media feed included photos from venues outside the city and even abroad, including 12 Chairs in Israel, where she allegedly again left without paying. Each new report added pressure on prosecutors, who argued that repeated incidents showed she was unwilling to follow basic rules as the criminal and immigration issues mounted.

Legal and immigration process

Immigration attorney Gadi Zohar said the criminal complaints almost certainly prompted officers to look more closely at Chung’s status.

“The arrests likely triggered the immigration warrant,” Zohar explained, because they brought her long-expired student visa to the attention of authorities responsible for removals.

He expects Chung to appear at an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hearing, where officials will decide whether she is deportable based on the overstay and the outcome of her criminal cases. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, situations where a noncitizen is charged with repeated theft can quickly move from local courtrooms into the federal immigration system.

If a later hearing finds that Chung is removable, she could be ordered to leave the country and sent back to Taiwan. The immigration case will unfold alongside her open criminal matters, creating a complicated schedule of court dates.

• Criminal proceedings will focus on whether she stole from restaurants.
• The federal immigration process will examine whether the 2021 visa overstay means she no longer has any right to remain.

Housing and related civil matters

Away from the courtroom, Chung is also fighting to keep a roof over her head. She is facing eviction from her Williamsburg apartment for unpaid rent, adding a housing dispute to her growing list of legal problems.

• The building is reportedly owned by former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, drawing extra media attention.
• Court filings in the housing case describe months of missed payments and efforts by the landlord to regain control of the unit.

If the eviction goes ahead while she is in custody, she could lose her home even before any deportation order is decided.

Community reaction and broader implications

The case has drawn attention among international students in New York, especially those who, like Chung, first came on student visas to attend schools such as Pratt Institute. Many rely on scholarships and careful budgeting to stay in status, and worry that a single missed deadline or change of circumstances could place them at risk.

While Chung’s situation is unusual in its social media angle and repeated restaurant visits, immigrant students watching the story see a blunt message about overstays: once a visa lapses, everyday life can quickly collide with immigration enforcement.

Official comments and custody timeline

Federal officials have not publicly commented on the details of Chung’s case beyond confirming that an immigration warrant was issued after her arrests. ICE generally does not discuss individual files, but the agency’s website, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, explains that people held on immigration grounds can be transferred from local jails into federal detention while they wait for hearings.

Department of Corrections records suggest that once her current criminal matters are addressed, immigration officers will be ready to assume custody. From that point, the timeline for any removal could depend on how quickly the case moves through court proceedings.

Current status and outlook

As of late November 2025, Chung remains within the court system, with both her criminal charges and her immigration status unresolved. Her Instagram account—filled with polished photos of pasta, wine glasses, and artfully arranged plates—now sits under the shadow of possible deportation.

Friends and critics alike comment on her posts, some accusing her of stealing, others questioning how someone who once studied on scholarship in New York ended up here. For now, she moves between:

1. Arraignments
2. Supervised release check-ins
3. The looming prospect of an ICE hearing

Each step brings her closer to a decision that could send her back to Taiwan and close the door on the life she tried to build in Brooklyn, one unpaid restaurant bill at a time. Her future now rests with judges who will weigh every allegation, receipt, and missed deadline carefully.