McALLEN, Texas – Lawmakers are asking why a McAllen family that came to the U.S. legally was taken into custody during a meeting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers last month.
Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar, 18, and Caleb Gámez-Cuéllar, 14, are members of McAllen High School’s eight-time state championship Mariachi Oro band, and performed on Capitol Hill last June at the invitation of Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg.
“The Gámez-Cuéllar family’s story breaks my heart,” De La Cruz said in a statement Saturday. “I have repeatedly urged that enforcement target those who actually threaten our communities, not good, law-abiding, talented people who are working through the legal process.”
The story drew national attention after Tejano music star Bobby Pulido posted a video about the situation on Facebook, following reporting by independent journalist Cecilia Ballí.
Pulido is running as the Democratic nominee for De La Cruz’s seat in Congress later this year.
A distant relative told ABC affiliate KRGV the family migrated to the Rio Grande Valley in 2023 using the now-defunct CBP One app, fleeing violence in Mexico.
Migrants who were temporarily allowed to live in the U.S. through the CBP One app were told to leave the country “immediately” in April 2025.
It is unclear whether the Gámez-Cuéllar family was one of the families impacted by this announcement; however, Ballí‘s reporting indicates the parents had attended regular court dates and meetings with ICE officers as recently as this past January.
A final hearing in the family’s case was scheduled for September, Ballí reported, but in late February, the family was summoned to appear at ICE offices with their sons. It was at this meeting that they were taken into custody.
Antonio had turned 18 years old the month prior, and because he is now an adult, he is being held at the El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas, the relative said.
His mother, father, 12-year-old brother and Caleb are being held more than 200 miles away at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said he will be checking on the family during his visit to the Dilley detention facility on Monday.
“I am doing everything in my power to make sure the boys and their family return home safely,” Castro said.
De La Cruz said she requested a visit to the El Valle Detention Center on Saturday night, and has been in close communication with the Department of Homeland Security and community leaders to “explore every legal option available” for the Gámez-Cuéllar family.
“These are our neighbors, friends, and valued members of the community,” De La Cruz said.
McAllen ISD told KRGV that it could not comment on the situation out of respect for the family’s privacy and because it was not a district matter. The district said it is attempting to release a more detailed statement on Monday.
A protest was held Sunday outside of the Raymondville facility, calling for “dignity, justice and fair treatment of the community.”
In a statement, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos said the community continues to encourage federal leaders to find pathways for those seeking the American dream.
“For more than a year, I have emphasized the importance of securing our borders to ensure the safety of our community,” Villalobos said. “That commitment, however, must always be balanced with creating lawful, responsible pathways for individuals who want to contribute to our economy, support their families, and become productive neighbors in McAllen.”
KSAT 12 reached out to ICE for comment and has not yet heard back.
KRGV, an ABC affiliate in the Rio Grande Valley, contributed to this report.
Read also: