ICE detention of South Texas Mariachi band teens sparks bipartisan criticism

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The detention by U.S. immigration authorities of two teen brothers who were prominent members of a nationally recognized mariachi band in South Texas has triggered bipartisan criticism that the Trump administration’s campaign for mass deportation has overreached.

Brothers Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar, 18, and Joshua, 14, were detained along with their 12-year-old brother and their parents Feb. 25, according to a relative and a girlfriend who organized a GoFundMe account for the family. The family had been checking in regularly with immigration authorities, as instructed, when they were detained, the relative and girlfriend said.

The teenaged boys were prominent members of the McAllen High School Mariachi Oro band, which has visited the White House, performed at Carnegie Hall and won eight state championships.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

The agency’s online locator indicated that Antonio was being held at a detention center in Raymondville, Texas.

Elected officials from across the political spectrum voiced support for the family, who are from Mexico and had sought asylum in the U.S. and were going through their immigration proceedings.

“The Gamez-Cuellar family’s story breaks my heart. South Texans know better than anyone that we can secure our border and still treat people with dignity — these are not competing values,” said Rep. Monica de la Cruz, a Republican congresswoman representing McAllen.

McAllen’s Republican mayor, Javier Villalobos, said he supported the family and said he continues to advocate for “responsible pathways for law abiding individuals who want to contribute to our economy, support their families, and become productive neighbors in McAllen.”

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, visited the family at an immigrant detention center in Dilley, Texas, near San Antonio on Monday, where four of the five family members were being held.

Castro had visited the facility before when he advocated for the release of a 5-year-old from Minnesota, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his Ecuadorian father.

U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a New York Democrat and chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, called the family’s detention “outrageous.”

“This family followed the rules, showed up to their immigration appointment in good faith, and is now being torn apart by ICE, with their 18-year-old son separated from his parents and younger brothers,” he said.