Texas Mariachi Brothers Detained by ICE Now Set to Perform with Kacey Musgraves After Release

In a stark example of the Trump administration’s relentless and often inhumane immigration enforcement, three young mariachi musicians from McAllen, Texas, were detained by ICE earlier this year. Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar, 18, and his younger brothers Caleb, 14, and Joshua, 12, were swept up in the crackdown despite their family’s attempt to seek asylum through the CBP One app — a legal pathway created under the Biden administration but later scrapped under Trump.

Antonio was held at the El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas, while Caleb, Joshua, and their parents were confined in a family detention center in Dilley. The Department of Homeland Security claimed the family had entered the U.S. illegally in 2023 near Brownsville. But advocates, including U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio), pointed out the family had followed the required asylum procedures. A federal judge recently ruled that canceling the CBP One app and stripping migrants of their status was illegal, highlighting the administration’s pattern of unlawful immigration policies.

Following widespread public backlash and legal pressure, the Gámez-Cuéllar family was released on March 10 under the condition that the parents attend mandatory ICE check-ins. Despite the trauma of detention, the brothers’ passion for music remains undiminished. Antonio described music as “a gift from God” and “everything” to him, recalling performances at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and Washington, D.C.

Now free, Antonio, Caleb, and Joshua are set to open for Grammy Award-winning artist Kacey Musgraves at Gruene Hall in Texas from May 3 to May 5. This opportunity is more than a performance — it’s a defiant celebration of resilience in the face of an administration that weaponized immigration enforcement to sow fear and break families.

The Gámez-Cuéllar brothers’ story underscores the human cost of Trump’s immigration policies: young lives disrupted, families torn apart, and communities shaken. Yet it also demonstrates the power of public resistance and the importance of holding ICE accountable for its abuses. As these brothers take the stage, they carry with them the voices of countless others caught in the detention system’s cruel grip.

This case is a reminder that behind every ICE detention number is a real person with dreams and dignity — and that fighting back against authoritarian overreach is essential to preserving our democracy and civil rights.