What should have been an unforgettable honeymoon ended up becoming a nightmare for Bryan José Rojas Galofre, a Venezuelan immigrant married to a US citizen. According to a Noticias Telemundo report, the trip he took with his wife to Trump National Doral, in Florida, led to an immigration arrest, more than three months in ICE custody and an economic crisis that still affects his family.
However, upon arriving at a security checkpoint to enter the complex, agents found an air pistol and a metal marijuana grinder inside the vehicle. The couple was arrested by local police and Rojas was subsequently placed under immigration investigation.
Tattoos, suspicions and three months in custody
According to Rojas, the authorities began to question him about his tattoos, including a crown, a Chinese dragon and dollar symbols.
“They took me out of the car, checked my tattoos and started asking me if I belonged to a gang,” he said.
Subsequently, he was transferred to a federal detention center in Miami, where he remained for almost three months while authorities verified possible links to criminal organizations.
His lawyer, Tahimi Rengifo, maintained that the suspicions were based on generalizations related to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
“Bryan had no criminal record and had not committed any crime that would justify this level of action,” he said.
A family trapped in immigration limbo
An immigration judge granted him bail in April 2025, concluding that he did not pose a risk to the community or a flight risk. However, the liberation did not solve their problems.
During his detention his work permit expired, he lost his job and the family had to sell assets to cover legal expenses and bail. According to Rojas, the debts already exceed $80,000.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the actions of the authorities and described Rojas as an undocumented immigrant with a record related to an open case for possession of drug paraphernalia. However, court documents cited by the aforementioned media indicate that he has not been convicted of serious or drug-related crimes.
While waiting for an immigration hearing scheduled for 2028, Rojas claims to live in fear of a new detention.
"I just wanted to fulfill a dream and see the president. I never imagined that my life would change this way," he declared.
