On June 26, a Guatemalan drag performer, known under the stage name Hilary Rivers, attended his scheduled asylum hearing in San Francisco, California. The judge denied the government’s motion to dismiss the drag queen’s asylum case, but ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) promptly arrested Rivers as he left the courtroom. 

Rivers, who uses he/him pronouns according to 48 Hills, left Guatemala for the United States due to being persecuted 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 Latine 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. 

The San Francisco queer and Latine communities have rallied together in support of Rivers, advocating for his release and safety.

San Francisco Pride said in a statement, “San Francisco Pride stands in solidarity with Hilary Rivers—a Latinx drag performer and San Francisco resident—and the Latinx immigrant community following news of his arrest by ICE outside of San Francisco immigration court (…) 

“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. San Francisco is the vibrant city we know of today because of the contributions of immigrants—especially queer immigrants.”

Galería de la Raza, a non-profit organisation that focuses on celebrating and promoting Xicane/Latine art and culture, shared in an Instagram post saying that, “A beloved community member known by their performer name, Hilary Rivers, was detained by ICE after a scheduled appointment at court. As of Friday, June 27, 2025, Hilary Rivers has been located and it is confirmed that they have been transferred to Golden State Annex in McFarland, CA. 

“We are calling on the community to write letters of solidarity to Hilary Rivers, so they know he has community support, and to sign up for updates through the Google form to stay tuned on this case and its developments.”

 

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The organisation also hosted a session where community members could come and write letters in support of Rivers on June 30. 

The drag queen, unfortunately, is one of many immigrants in the US who have been forced to face the mass deportation efforts being pushed by the Trump administration and ICE. Earlier this year, gay makeup artist Andry Hernández Romero from Venezuela, who was seeking asylum, was deported and sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador. His family still have not heard from him. 

Rivers specifically is a victim of the growing tactic of ICE immediately arresting people after their asylum hearings, whether their cases were dismissed or not.