HOUSTON — Yasmin Suarez Reyes was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport on July 24. Her detention has triggered a habeas corpus petition filed in federal court and prompted her fiancé, Texas businessman John Gannon, to publicly express regret over his support for President Donald Trump.

Gannon, a 75-year-old businessman from Texas, described the encounter as abrupt and lacking in transparency. He stated that eight plainclothes ICE officers detained Reyes after she and Gannon exited the United Club at the airport. "After leaving the United room, eight officers, ICE agents swarmed Yasmin and detained her. (They) didn't tell us why and wrestled her off into a car," Gannon said.

According to Gannon, the agents did not identify themselves or state charges at the time of the arrest. The couple had been planning to travel from Houston to Las Vegas on July 24 for a furniture industry convention. Reyes, who is 45 years old, was born in Venezuela and holds citizenship in Spain. She entered the United States legally on October 24, 2023, using her Spanish passport under the Visa Waiver Program.

Reyes filed an affirmative asylum application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on January 19, 2024. Her authorized stay under the Visa Waiver Program expired on January 19, 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security, or January 21, 2024, according to a federal habeas corpus petition.

Reyes obtained a work permit and a Texas driver's license while her asylum case was pending. She has no criminal record and is pursuing a U-visa after the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office certified her as the victim of a crime. Despite these factors, correspondence received by her attorney from ICE indicated that Reyes was detained to be processed for deportation because her underlying permission to be in the U.S. had expired.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that Reyes illegally overstayed her lawful admission which expired on January 19, 2024. The agency also noted that Reyes overstayed her lawful admission to the U.S. by over 2 years.

Anne Kennedy, Reyes' immigration attorney, filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in the Southern District of Texas on July 31. Kennedy is a lifelong Republican. An immigration judge declined to set bond for Reyes, determining the immigration court did not have the authority to do so.

Reyes is currently being held at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas. "For almost two weeks now, she has been in a physical jail cell, when she has done nothing more than follow the laws of the United States and do what our immigration laws allow her to do," Kennedy said.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Reyes was arrested by ICE on July 24, stating the administration 'is not going to ignore the rule of law.' The agency emphasized that a pending asylum application does not confer legal immigration status. It further stated that all of Reyes' claims will be heard by a Justice Department immigration judge and she will receive full due process. In a broader message, the Department of Homeland Security urged aliens not to make the mistake Reyes did, stating 'Don’t be like Yasmin — take advantage of our CBP Home offer and get $2,600 AND a FREE flight home'.

Gannon, who owns more than 1,000 billboards in the U.S. and several establishments in Mexico, including a hotel and a restaurant, is a lifelong Republican who voted for President Donald Trump. He said he deeply regrets his decision to vote for President Trump. "I voted for Trump. They are picking up law-abiding citizens. They're destroying families, jobs," Gannon said.

He added, "What are you doing? Go after the criminals. We're all for that. But leave the mom and pops and the kids alone. Man, he's destroying families." Gannon also noted the personal impact of the situation, saying, "She's focused me more on my religious path. I mean, Yasmin's good as gold."

ICE arrests reached a record monthly high last month, driven in part by airport arrests. A Department of Homeland Security official that ICE is now making between 20 and 40 arrests at airports nationwide each day, compared with fewer than 10 per day in May 2025. This increase in enforcement activity occurs within a broader context of legal and administrative developments, including Texas HB 16, which relates to the operation and administration of proceedings in the judicial branch of state government.

The case shows the intersection of pending asylum applications and immigration enforcement actions, demonstrating that a pending application does not confer legal status according to federal authorities. The arrest of Reyes, who entered legally and filed for asylum before her visa expired, reflects the Department of Homeland Security's stance on enforcing rules against overstays regardless of pending cases. The public regret expressed by Gannon, a prominent Republican donor, illustrates the political ramifications of current enforcement policies among some conservative voters who perceive them as impacting law-abiding residents.

The legal battle continues through the habeas corpus petition filed by Kennedy, raising questions about the procedural handling of such detentions. The national trend of increased airport arrests, with daily figures rising significantly compared to earlier in the year, provides context for the frequency of such incidents. The outcome of Reyes' case and the associated legal challenges may influence future interpretations of due process and bond authority in similar immigration proceedings.