McAllen Mariachi Family Freed from ICE Custody After Community Pressure
Two award-winning McAllen mariachi students and their family were detained by ICE after a Feb. 25 routine check-in, triggering days of regional uproar and bipartisan pressure from Rep. Monica De La Cruz; Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar, Caleb and Joshua, and their parents were released from detention in Raymondville and Dilley on March 9. The family had entered the U.S. in May 2023 via the CBP One app and had previously informed teachers of their check-ins, with community supporters urging that families be kept together and enforcement policies be made more humane.