Congressman Joaquin Castro said he was planning to return to the federally operated Dilley facility to meet with the family on Monday.
SAN ANTONIO — Two South Texas high school students and members of the state championship-winning group Mariachi Oro are being held in Dilley, according to Congressman Joaquin Castro, who said he plans to make a return visit to the federally operated detention facility on Monday.
“Antonio and Caleb Gámez-Cuéllar went from performing with the Mariachi Oro vocalists before Congress to being imprisoned by ICE,” Castro said on social media Sunday. “I am doing everything in my power to make sure the boys and their family return home safely.”
Democratic Congressman Vincente Gonzalez, whose represents a portion of South Texas, alleged the family “complied with the law, yet were still detained” by ICE recently. Democratic Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz, whose district includes McAllen, said she was “troubled” by the news and in communication with the Department of Homeland Security.
Mariachi Oro is a well-documented McAllen High School group that has won the state title in mariachi eight times, including last year. It was the focus of the 2024 Netflix documentary “Going Varsity in Mariachi.”
Castro, who says he has been in contact with the Gamez-Cuellars’ attorney, said in a Saturday social media post that Antonio and Caleb’s detainments come after performing in front of Congress in Washington D.C. last year. Repeating sentiments he shared while pushing for the release of a 5-year-old Minnesota boy held in Texas with his father earlier this year, the San Antonio Democrat also blasted federal immigration enforcement strategy.
“Donald Trump said he was going after criminals,” Castro said. “How is it that these two young men who are good enough to perform at the U.S. Capitol at the invitation of their congresswoman… and yet the Trump administration has them sitting in a prison in Dilley, Texas?”
Dilley is about 70 miles southwest of San Antonio.
A McAllen ISD spokesperson said the district wouldn’t comment “out of respect for the privacy of minors and because this is not a district matter.”
Meanwhile, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos, a Republican, said on Facebook, “I stand with the Gamez-Cuellar family.” He called on lawmakers to balance border security with “creating lawful, responsible pathways for law-abiding individuals.”
“The reported detention of several MISD mariachi students underscores the need for this type of pathway,” Villalobos said. “McAllen is a law‑abiding and compassionate community that will continue to encourage our federal leaders to find pathways for those seeking the American dream. I stand with Mariachi Oro.”