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Three South Texas brothers and mariachi musicians are being released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after public pressure and intervention from members of Congress.
Antonio and Caleb Gamez-Cuellar and their younger brother Joshua had been detained on Feb. 25 along with their parents after a routine immigration check-in.
The brothers are mariachi musicians from McAllen who had participated in student competitions tied to the Mariachi Extravaganza.
The case also drew attention from South Texas political leaders and public figures. U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, a Republican who represents the Rio Grande Valley, spoke publicly about the family’s detention. Tejano singer Bobby Pulido, a Democrat challenging her for the seat in November, also posted a video urging support for the students and their family.
Alex Garcia, stage production manager for the annual Mariachi Extravaganza, remembers the students as committed and loyal to their craft.
“They were just so happy to be there. They had so much pride in knowing that they’re representing this precious culture of ours in such a beautiful way,” Garcia said.
Garcia added that the cultural fabric of Texas, California and other states is closely intertwined with mariachi music communities.
Support from the mariachi community helped bring wider attention to the family’s detention.
Activist Anthony Medrano with Viva Politics traveled to the detention center in Dilley on Monday and said the situation is not a question of which political party is ahead in the polls.
“The win needs to go to the people. The win needs to go to the migrants who are stuck in these detention centers without any voice,” Medrano said.
Family members said the brothers’ cousin, Denise Robles, traveled to the ICE detention facility in Dilley to pick them up and help them return home.
Medrano said U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, was in Dilley on Monday to check on the family.
Castro and other U.S. Representatives met at San Antonio City Hall Monday for a press conference after that trip to Dilley and called for the release of other families from Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.
Castro said the Gamez-Cuellar family was released from detention, but his work is not finished.
“I’d said very clearly that my goal is to shut down Dilley," said Castro. I don’t think anybody should be kept in that trailer prison — and most especially children. We met more children today who have been traumatized by the experience.”
Castro shared examples of the effects of the deplorable conditions of those detained and the inadequate and often cruel treatment they receive. He described a young boy with a swollen stomach from lack of food and a pregnant woman lacking medical care.
This was Castro’s third trip to Dilley. He’s expecting to return there on March 20.
Castro had been instrumental in the case of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, whose detention in early 2026 was another flashpoint in the debate on immigration detention.
