03/08/2026
🚨🚨🚨 Three mariachi students from McAllen, Texas—Antonio, Caleb, and Joshua Gámez-Cuéllar—were detained with their parents after attending a scheduled ICE appointment.
The family entered the United States legally in May 2023 through the CBP One process. They passed a credible fear screening and complied with every required immigration appointment and court date while waiting for their final hearing scheduled for September 2026.
On February 25, they appeared for their appointment as instructed. Instead of returning home, the family was detained and separated.
Because Antonio had just turned 18, he was transferred alone to a detention facility in Raymondville, Texas, while his parents and younger brothers remain in Dilley. Antonio is a high school senior only months away from graduation.
All three brothers are dedicated student musicians in McAllen’s mariachi programs. Antonio and Caleb were recently selected for Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State Mariachi, recognizing the top student mariachi musicians in the state. Their youngest brother Joshua also earned 1st Chair Tenor Vocals in TMEA All-Region Middle School Mariachi.
They perform with the award-winning McAllen High School Mariachi Oro, which has represented Texas on stages such as Carnegie Hall and Capitol Hill.
Following their detention, Mariachi Oro withdrew from the Festiba Mariachi Festival, choosing not to compete after losing two of their musicians.
But beyond the headlines and accomplishments, this situation highlights something deeper: the profound mental and emotional toll family separation and detention can have on young people. These are students in the middle of their school year, their music programs, and their everyday lives. Being suddenly separated from family, community, and stability can create intense stress, fear, anxiety, and long-term mental health impacts for children and teenagers. Monica De La Cruz
Educators, classmates, and community members are not only mourning the absence of talented musicians—they are also deeply concerned about the emotional wellbeing, sense of safety, and mental health of these young students and their family during an already difficult and uncertain time.
Their detention has sent shockwaves through their school, the Texas mariachi community, and our communities as a whole, as students, educators, and families grapple with the separation of these young musicians from their family, their classrooms, and the community that supports them.
Scan the QR code to learn how you can support the Gámez-Cuéllar family.
Outside of McAllen: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kg9ehaVtFPUwUdeO0WP0BqEiKUJZLbl4o9p0t8s4TZQ/edit?usp=sharing
Residents of McAllen: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u-adekycYJKFjLBuV2xP-yvxtyg4J5IyEZK-paoE9dk/edit?usp=sharing
