Overview
- ICE began freeing the Gámez‑Cuéllar family on March 9, with 18‑year‑old Antonio released from El Valle in Raymondville and his parents and younger brothers released from the Dilley family facility, according to relatives and lawmakers who reported their reunification.
- The family was detained on February 25 during a routine ICE appointment in Edinburg, with Antonio held separately under the policy that adult males without children are not housed at Dilley.
- DHS says the family entered the U.S. illegally near Brownsville in 2023 and maintains that the law allows detention while immigration claims are adjudicated.
- Relatives and supporters say the family sought asylum through the CBP One process, passed a credible fear screening, and consistently complied with court dates and ICE check‑ins.
- Public pressure included protests and on‑site visits by Reps. Joaquin Castro and Monica De La Cruz, and DHS said those released will have mandatory future check‑ins with ICE.