Three McAllen mariachi students and their parents were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this week, setting off a wave of anger from Rio Grande Valley lawmakers, educators and musicians. Antonio Gámez‑Cuéllar, 18, was reportedly separated from his family and moved to a detention facility in Raymondville, while his parents and younger brothers, Caleb, 14, and Joshua, 12, were taken to a family center in Dilley. All three boys perform in McAllen High School’s Mariachi Oro program and have become regular standouts at regional competitions. Community members say the family had been keeping up with immigration court dates and required ICE check‑ins before they were picked up.
Bobby Pulido, the Tejano star who recently won the Democratic nomination in Texas’ 15th Congressional District, jumped in quickly. In a video message urging authorities to step in and keep the family together, Pulido called attention to the case, as reported by the San Antonio Express‑News. Pulido told viewers the family had already passed a credible‑fear screening and had consistently appeared for both immigration court hearings and ICE check‑ins.
“The truth is, these kids are not criminals,” Pulido said in the video, adding that they were “students, musicians who believed in this country enough to follow the rules,” according to the Express‑News. His remarks, coupled with the family’s detention, have pushed other Valley officials and local musicians to demand answers from federal authorities.
A fundraiser set up for the family identifies the three brothers as Antonio, Caleb and Joshua and notes that Antonio recently served as a first‑chair trumpet player in a statewide mariachi ensemble. The GoFundMe page lays out the family’s account of their asylum proceedings, while McAllen High School’s program page confirms that Joshua advanced to a national vocal semifinal. Organizers are asking for donations to help cover legal fees, commissary costs and travel so relatives can visit the detainees.
According to reporting and the fundraiser, Antonio was transferred to the El Valle detention facility in Raymondville, a site listed by ICE, while his parents and younger brothers were taken to the South Texas family residential center in Dilley, which is also identified on ICE public information pages for South Texas detention locations.
What Passing A Credible‑Fear Screening Really Means
Pulido and the fundraiser organizers have emphasized that the family passed a credible‑fear screening, the preliminary asylum interview that, if successful, moves a person out of expedited removal and into the immigration court system. Federal immigration guidance describes the credible‑fear interview as a threshold test to decide whether there is a “significant possibility” that someone could ultimately qualify for asylum. A positive finding generally shifts the case into full removal proceedings instead of fast‑track deportation. Procedural materials from USCIS explain how those screenings are carried out and what a positive result sets in motion.
Politics, Pressure And The Valley’s Response
Pulido has turned the episode into a broader call for scrutiny of immigration enforcement in the Rio Grande Valley, publicly urging the South Texas congressional delegation to intervene on the family’s behalf. U.S. Rep. Vicente González has also posted criticism of the detentions on social media, and community organizers have rallied around the family while the fundraiser continues to pull in money for legal help and travel.
The case now sits alongside a series of high‑profile local complaints about ICE enforcement in South Texas, adding another flashpoint to an already tense debate. Advocates say the family’s next steps depend heavily on immigration court scheduling and their access to qualified counsel. Passing a credible‑fear screening does not grant asylum, they note, but it usually means the family will get a chance to present their claims before a judge.
In the meantime, school officials, local musicians and Valley elected leaders are publicly pressing for more transparency and urging authorities to prioritize keeping the family together while the legal process runs its course.
