Two brothers who helped make their school's mariachi band famous were released from ICE custody Monday, reunited with their parents after the family was detained in separate immigration holding facilities.
Antonio Gamez-Cuellar and his younger brother Caleb are part of Mariachi Oro, a band from McAllen High School in Texas, featured in a 2023 Netflix documentary about their quest to win a state championship.
Antonio was first chair trumpet player in all of Texas. Just last summer, Mariachi Oro performed at an event at the U.S. Capitol. A congresswoman spoke about the band's accomplishments in a speech on the House floor with a photo of the students behind her.
"Your community is so, so proud of your hard work, your talent and your dedication," said U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX).
The band also toured the White House.
Then, last week, the Trump administration detained Antonio and Caleb, along with a third younger brother who also plays mariachi, and their parents.
They had come to the US from Mexico in 2023, claiming asylum, entering through legal means set up at that time. But DHS told Scripps News the law requires asylum seekers to wait in detention while the asylum process plays out.
ICE placed Antonio, 18, in an adult detention center apart from his family. Caleb and another younger brother were with their parents at the Dilley Family Detention Center, a for-profit lockup where Scripps News has uncovered complaints about lack of medical care and about the food and drinking water.
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Pediatrician Laura Jones is leading an effort among healthcare workers, calling for the release of all children held at Dilley, some for months and months.
"There really is no reason to be causing harm to children. We are traumatizing them. We are harming them, and it's not justified, and it should end," Jones said. "And I think that if you take the politics out of it, this is really not a controversial issue."
The family was released Monday after members of Congress, Republican and Democrat, spoke out.
“They were ecstatic. They were crying. They were excited to be reunited with their son and brother, Antonio, who was being held separately in Raymondville," said U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX). “But their mom kept asking, ‘What did we do wrong? We followed all the rules. We went to court, we haven’t done anything wrong.’”
