San Francisco queen Hilary Rivers detained by ICE agents
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San Francisco drag queen, Hilary Rivers, was detained by ICE agents after an asylum hearing in an immigration court in June, prompting several LGBTQ+ organizations and advocates to take action.
Rivers is currently being held at an ICE detention center in McFarland, CA. At his scheduled hearing on June 26, where a judge denied a motion for his case to be dismissed. It was shortly after exiting the courtroom that he was apprehended.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Rivers fled his home country of Guatemala after the “traumatic and severe” persecution for being gay. He has been living legally in the US, waiting out his asylum case and has been active in the San Francisco queer community.
The night before his arrest, he performed at Galería de la Raza’s Pride event Miss & Mr Safe Latino, a queer pageant that celebrated its 30th anniversary this year.
While same-sex relationships are legal in the country, it does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions. People identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community also continue to face ridicule and violent attacks due to their orientation.
San Francisco Pride released a call to action for the community to write letters of solidarity to Rivers and sign up for updates through its Google form.
"San Francisco Pride vehemently rejects the continued attacks on immigrant communities by the federal administration, SCOTUS rulings, and the splintering of our communities by ICE on the basis of violations to due process and our city’s sanctuary policy," the statement reads. "San Francisco is the vibrant city we know of today because of the contributions of immigrants — especially queer immigrants."
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with [community mental health and wellness service] Instituto Familiar de la Raza (IFR), queer Latinx leaders and Hilary’s chosen family as we figure out how to support his immediate release from ICE detention.”
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