"They were ecstatic. They were crying. They were excited to be reunited with their son and brother, Antonio, who was being held separately in Raymondville. But their mom kept asking, 'What did we do wrong? We followed all the rules. We went to court, we haven't done anything wrong.'"
"The family had been checking in regularly with immigration authorities, as instructed, when they were detained, according to a relative and a girlfriend who organized a GoFundMe account for the family. The Department of Homeland Security said the parents were arrested by immigration authorities and 'chose' to bring their three children with them."
A family from South Texas was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on February 25, including two teenage brothers who are prominent members of McAllen High School Mariachi Oro, a nationally recognized band that has performed at Carnegie Hall and won eight state championships. The family—parents Emma Guadalupe Cuellar Lopez and Luis Antonio Gamez Martinez, and their three sons—was released from detention centers in Dilley and Raymondville, Texas on Monday following bipartisan criticism. The parents had been checking in regularly with immigration authorities as instructed when detained. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro visited the family and reported the mother questioned what they had done wrong, stating they followed all rules and attended court. The Department of Homeland Security claimed the parents entered illegally in 2023, though legal representatives indicated they entered lawfully through the CBP One app.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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