A woman has lost her job after writing on a receipt, “I hope Trump Deports you”, after dining at a Mexican restaurant.

In US president Donald Trump’s initial weeks in office, he ordered mass deportations of undocumented migrants, and it seems some are using it to hassle people in their place of work.

On 2 March, real estate agent Stephanie Lovins had a meal at Cazuelas Mexican Cantina in Columbus, Ohio. But, when the bill arrived at the end, rather than leave a tip, Lovins instead wrote a nasty message on the receipt for the waiter who had been serving her – a US citizen – after she reportedly grew upset about the restaurant’s “one coupon per table” policy.

She wrote, “I hope Trump deports you!!!” and also added in the tip section: “Zero, you suck.”

Lovins attempted to disguise that it was her by scribbling out her name on the receipt, but it was still visible on the merchant copy, which was posted by a restaurant employee on Facebook, with the caption: “Yall hate us but love our food. Shame on you, Stephanie, for not saying it with your chest.”

When the post went viral, Lovins tried to deny any involvement, claiming on LinkedIn and Facebook that her card had been stolen.

“My credit card was lost/stolen, and someone attempted to use it. Thanks for the notifications! This has been reported through my bank,” she claimed on Facebook.

Lovins said on LinkedIn: “Thank you for all the recent notifications of scammers and profile hackers! I recently discovered a lost/missing credit card and an attempted use/purchase. I appreciate your patience while I manage the situation.”

Her claims, however, were revealed to be false after the restaurant reviewed its CCTV footage and confirmed that it was she who had dined there.

Following the incident, Lovins’ employer, Century 21, confirmed that she had been terminated from her role, saying “hate has no place within the brand”.

In a statement, the company said: “We are aware of the situation with the agent in question. Hate has no place within the CENTURY 21 brand, and we are taking this very seriously.

“After investigating the situation and connecting with the respective broker, as all companies affiliated with the CENTURY 21 brand are independently owned and operated, we can confirm that this agent is no longer affiliated with the brand.”