Pro-Trump businessman pivots on ICE: 'Leave the mom and pops alone'
FILE PHOTO: A Department of Homeland Security officer directs passengers as they wait in long TSA lines amid a funding standoff that has forced 50,000 airport security officers to go without pay, causing delays at airports, at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 25, 2026. REUTERS/Antranik Tavitian/File Photo

Texas businessman John Gannon expressed regret for supporting President Donald Trump in 2024.

His shift in perspective comes after federal immigration officials detained his Venezuelan fiancée, Yasmín Suárez Reyes, in July.

During an interview with CBS News on Thursday, Gannon admitted he expected Trump's mass deportation campaign to target only criminals, but instead discovered "they are picking up law-abiding citizens" and "destroying families, jobs."

According to Common Dreams' Brad Reed, ICE agents detained Suárez Reyes at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston without explanation, "swarming" and "wrestling her off into a car," according to Gannon.

“This is like the Gestapo,” Gannon said.

Her attorney, Anne Kennedy, told CBS News Suárez Reyes entered legally, had a pending asylum case, work permit, and no criminal record, yet remained jailed for nearly two weeks.

Gannon urged Trump to "go after the criminals" but "leave the mom and pops and the kids alone."

Critics offered little sympathy, with journalist Molly Knight noting Gannon opposed the policy only when it affected him personally.

Watch the video below.