Christopher Polk
Country music star Kacey Musgraves has announced a powerful collaboration for her upcoming string of Texas performances. The Grammy-winning artist revealed on Tuesday (April 28) that she will be joined on stage by The Mariachi Brothers—the trio of young musicians who faced international headlines earlier this year after being detained by ICE, despite their past performance history at the U.S. Capitol.
The intimate series of shows is scheduled for May 3–5 at the historic Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas. These performances arrive just days after the launch of Musgraves’ latest studio album, Middle of Nowhere. The artist shared the news via Instagram, featuring a minimalist concert poster that explicitly highlights the inclusion of the brothers as special guests.
The ensemble—Antonio, Caleb, and Joshua Gámez-Cuéllar—spent two weeks in detention this past March, a situation that drew intense scrutiny regarding current immigration enforcement tactics. Following widespread public advocacy, the family was released as debates over border policies and aggressive deportation practices reached a fever pitch.
Eighteen-year-old Antonio, an accomplished mariachi trumpeter, previously performed at the Capitol alongside his brothers, Caleb (14) and Joshua (12), at the invitation of Rep. Monica De La Cruz. While the congresswoman has been a vocal proponent of the previous administration’s hardline immigration stance, she advocated for the family’s release during their detention, referring to them as essential members of the community.
Musgraves has consistently been vocal regarding her stance on immigration reform. In June 2025, she famously criticized the agency’s methods on social media, drawing a sharp comparison between health mandates and immigration enforcement protocols.
Middle of Nowhere, arriving this Friday (May 1), serves as the highly anticipated follow-up to her 2024 success, Deeper Well, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. With guest appearances from industry titans like Miranda Lambert and Willie Nelson, the album is already generating significant buzz. Fans have so far received only a small taste of the project through the lead single “Dry Spell” and the atmospheric title track.
