{"id":271060,"date":"2026-04-29T08:01:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T08:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/271060\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T08:01:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T08:01:24","slug":"teen-mariachi-trio-detained-by-ice-to-open-for-kacey-musgraves-in-texas-kacey-musgraves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/271060\/","title":{"rendered":"Teen mariachi trio detained by ICE to open for Kacey Musgraves in Texas | Kacey Musgraves"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three teenage mariachi musicians who were temporarily detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)<\/a> in February have been tapped to open for country singer Kacey Musgraves<\/a> at several upcoming shows in Texas.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Musgraves announced <\/a>that the G\u00e1mez-Cu\u00e9llar brothers Antonio, 18; Caleb, 14; and Joshua, 12, would join her for performances at Gruene Hall from 3 to 5 May as part of her Middle of Nowhere tour.<\/p>\n

The last of those dates is Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates a Mexican military victory over a French army at the 1862 battle of Puebla. That holiday is also popular in the US, where communities nationwide celebrate it.<\/p>\n

Musgraves, a 37-year-old Texas<\/a> native and Grammy winner, made Monday\u2019s announcement after the G\u00e1mez-Cu\u00e9llar brothers were arrested alongside their parents by ICE in February \u2013 and subsequently released amid a bipartisan backlash to their detention.<\/p>\n

The two younger boys and their parents were held at a family detention center in Dilley, Texas. Antonio, meanwhile, was separated and placed in a different adult facility, according to<\/a> Congressman Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat who was among lawmakers from both major US political parties calling for the family\u2019s release.<\/p>\n

The case drew national attention in part because the brothers had traveled to Washington DC in summer 2025 after their high school mariachi ensemble won a state competition in Texas. Their Republican congressional representative, Monica De La Cruz, later invited the ensemble to the House floor in recognition<\/a> of their success.<\/p>\n

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, said the family was living in the country without legal permission. DHS added that the boys\u2019 parents \u201cchose to bring their adult son and two children with them\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, the boys\u2019 father, Luis Antonio Mart\u00ednez, told<\/a> the New York Times that the family entered the US in 2023 on an asylum claim after fleeing cartel threats in the Mexican state of San Luis Potos\u00ed.<\/p>\n

The family attended scheduled court check-ins after settling in McAllen, Texas. Mart\u00ednez said in February that ICE had instructed them to report to an appointment, where they were then detained.<\/p>\n

In response to their detention, De La Cruz said<\/a> it \u201cbreaks my heart\u201d, adding: \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

After their release<\/a> in March, Musgraves took to the social media platform Instagram to celebrate the news, writing: \u201cGreat so come on the road with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gruene Hall, where Musgraves and the brothers are set to perform, is one of Texas\u2019s most celebrated live music venues. First built in 1878, it draws music fans to hundreds of show annually.<\/p>\n