Pro-Trump Texas Businessman Reverses on ICE After Fiancée's Detention
Key Takeaways
- •John Gannon, a Texas businessman who voted for Trump in 2024, reversed his support after ICE detained his fiancée Yasmín Suárez Reyes at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in July.
- •Suárez Reyes had entered the United States legally, held a valid work permit, had a pending asylum case, and had no criminal record, according to her attorney Anne Kennedy.
- •Despite her legal standing, Suárez Reyes remained in ICE custody for nearly two weeks following her detention.
- •The Trump administration has expanded immigration enforcement operations across airports, courthouses, and other locations as part of its mass deportation pledge.
- •Public response to Gannon's change of heart was largely unsympathetic, with critics arguing he only opposed the policies once they affected him directly.
Texas businessman John Gannon has expressed regret over his 2024 vote for President Donald Trump, reversing his stance after federal immigration officials detained his Venezuelan fiancée, Yasmín Suárez Reyes, in July.
Speaking with CBS News on Thursday, Gannon said he had assumed Trump's mass deportation campaign would focus exclusively on criminals. Instead, he said, authorities are "picking up law-abiding citizens" and "destroying families, jobs."
According to Common Dreams reporter Brad Reed, ICE agents took Suárez Reyes into custody at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Gannon said officers gave no explanation, describing them as "swarming" his fiancée and "wrestling her off into a car."
"This is like the Gestapo," Gannon said.
Suárez Reyes's attorney, Anne Kennedy, told CBS News that her client had entered the United States legally, held a valid work permit, had a pending asylum case, and had no criminal record. Under U.S. immigration law, asylum seekers with pending cases are generally permitted to remain in the country while their claims move through the system, a process that often takes years due to deep backlogs in immigration courts. Nevertheless, she remained in custody for nearly two weeks following her July detention.
Trump made mass deportation a signature promise of his 2024 campaign, pledging to carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in U.S. history. Since taking office, his administration has expanded ICE enforcement operations across multiple cities and transit hubs, including airports, courthouses, and other locations, drawing both support and backlash. Civil liberties and immigrant advocacy groups have warned that broader enforcement nets are increasingly affecting individuals without criminal records who have legal status or pending claims.
Gannon urged the president to redirect enforcement efforts. "Go after the criminals," he said, "but leave the mom and pops and the kids alone."
Public reaction to Gannon's reversal was largely unsympathetic. Journalist Molly Knight noted on Bluesky that Gannon only objected to the policy once it affected him personally. Activist Shannon Watts shared similar criticism on X, highlighting the broader pattern of Trump supporters reconsidering their positions only after experiencing the policies firsthand.
