Trending Now - Outcry Leads to Release of Award-winning Mariachi Brothers From ICE
WHO:
U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, Republican congresswoman representing McAllen, announced the release of Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar.
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, Texas Democrat, visited the family and confirmed their release.
Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar, 18, and Joshua Gámez-Cuéllar, 14, brothers and members of the McAllen High School Mariachi Oro band
Emma Guadalupe Cuéllar Lopez and Luis Antonio Gámez Martinez, parents of the brothers
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, Texas Democrat
U.S. Rep. Monica de la Cruz, Republican congresswoman representing McAllen
U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, New York Democrat and chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Alex Treviño, mariachi director
Neri Fuentes, assistant mariachi director
WHAT:
Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar was released from a detention center in Raymondville, Texas, on March 8th, 2026.
The family was reunited on March 8th, 2026, after bipartisan criticism of their detention.
The family had been detained for nearly two weeks prior to their release.
Antonio and Joshua Gámez-Cuéllar were detained by ICE along with their parents on February 25th, 2026
The family was released from a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, on March 8th, 2026
The family had been checking in regularly with immigration authorities prior to their detention
Antonio was released after a parole request was filed with ICE
The detention center population decreased from about 1,100 in January 2026 to about 450 by March 2026
WHERE:
The family was held in a detention center in Dilley, Texas, and Antonio was held in a separate facility in Raymondville, Texas.
Raymondville, Texas, where Antonio was detained
Dilley, Texas, where Joshua and their parents were detained
McAllen, Texas, the hometown of the Gámez-Cuéllar family
WHEN:
The family was detained on February 25th, 2026, and released on March 8th, 2026.
The family was detained on February 25th, 2026
The family was released on March 8th, 2026
Antonio won first chair for trumpet in a state competition in 2026
The brothers were recognized on Capitol Hill less than a year prior to their detention
WHY:
The family sought asylum in the U.S. after the father faced cartel threats and was kidnapped.
The family sought asylum in the U.S. and was going through immigration proceedings
The detention was part of the Trump administration’s campaign for mass deportation
HOW:
The family presented themselves at a Brownsville port of entry in May 2023 seeking asylum.
The family entered the U.S. illegally in 2023 near Brownsville, Texas
The family had been using the CBP One app, a legal pathway, to enter the U.S. according to their attorney
ICE granted Antonio's release after attorneys filed a parole request without needing a judge’s order
(UPDATED March 10, 2026 07:15 UTC)
U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz announced today that Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar has been released from a detention center in Raymondville, Texas, where he had been held separately from his family for nearly two weeks. The family, who sought asylum in the U.S. after facing threats from a cartel, was reunited on March 8, following bipartisan criticism of their detention. Texas Democrat Joaquin Castro visited the family and confirmed their release, which came after they initially presented themselves at a Brownsville port of entry in May 2023.
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(UPDATED March 10, 2026 05:20 UTC)
Antonio and Joshua Gámez-Cuéllar, brothers and members of the McAllen High School Mariachi Oro band, were detained by ICE along with their parents on February 25, 2026, as they sought asylum in the U.S. After checking in regularly with immigration authorities, the family was released from a detention center in Dilley, Texas, on March 8, 2026, following a successful parole request for Antonio. The brothers had previously been recognized on Capitol Hill less than a year before their detention, highlighting their achievements in music and the challenges they faced during the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign.