Texas Teens Reunited with Family After Bipartisan Backlash

In a major breakthrough for the Gámez-Cuéllar family, two teenage mariachi musicians were released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after a bipartisan backlash.

The brothers, Antonio Yesayahu Gámez-Cuéllar, 18, and Caleb Gámez-Cuéllar, 14, were detained by ICE late last month despite having followed the proper procedures and attending every court date and immigration check-in.

Their detention sparked widespread outrage, including from a Republican congresswoman, Monica De La Cruz, who had initially invited them to the House floor to celebrate their mariachi ensemble's state competition win.

De La Cruz said in a statement that the family's story 'breaks my heart' and that she had repeatedly urged enforcement to target those who threaten communities, not good, law-abiding people like the Gámez-Cuéllars.

Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro announced the release of the brothers on Monday, sharing photos of the family reuniting on social media.

The parents and two younger brothers had been taken to a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, while Antonio was held at a separate adult facility.

Their release comes after a delegation of US representatives, including Castro and Madeleine Dean, visited the Dilley facility and advocated for the family's release.

This is the second major release from the Dilley facility in recent months, following the release of Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old Minnesota boy and his father.