John Gannon, a 75-year-old Texas businessman and lifelong Republican, expressed deep regret over his vote for President Trump after his fiancée, Yasmin Suarez Reyes, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport in late July 2026.

Gannon said he and Suarez Reyes, a 45-year-old immigrant from Venezuela who holds Spanish citizenship, were planning to travel from Houston to Las Vegas on July 24 for a furniture industry convention. After passing through airport security, agents in plainclothes detained Suarez Reyes without explanation, with eight ICE officers reportedly swarming and escorting her into a vehicle.

Suarez Reyes lawfully entered the U.S. on October 24, 2023, but overstayed her admission, which expired on January 19, 2024, according to documents from Citizenship and Immigration Services. Despite holding Spanish citizenship, which allows visa-free travel to the U.S. for tourists or temporary visitors, her overstay led to her detention.

Gannon, who owns over 1,000 billboards across the U.S. and several businesses in Mexico, criticized ICE's actions, saying, "Go after the criminals. We're all for that. But leave the mom and pops and the kids alone. Man, he's destroying families." He said he would ask President Trump, "What are you doing?" if given the chance.

This incident has caused Gannon to reconsider his political choices, highlighting the personal impact of immigration enforcement policies.

Sources

Reported by Camilo Montoya-Galvez, Immigration Correspondent at CBS News.