{"id":68818,"date":"2025-10-28T14:17:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T21:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?p=68818"},"modified":"2025-11-03T14:10:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T22:10:09","slug":"hilary-rivers-ice-sf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIt was terrible\u201d: Latinx drag queen Hilary Rivers released from ICE detention after getting asylum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>San Francisco drag queen Hilary Rivers has been released from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and is back home in San Francisco after being granted asylum in the United States on September 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In an exclusive interview, Rivers spoke to <em>El Tecolote<\/em> and <em>48 Hills<\/em> about the violence she endured in detention and the long legal fight that brought her back to San Francisco.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/es\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf-2\/\">Lee esta historia en espa\u00f1ol <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cA few days before my court date, friends warned me not to appear because people were being picked up,\u201d said Rivers. \u201cBut I wanted to do things right. I knew if I didn\u2019t show up, I could get an automatic deportation order. So I went to court with my lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Fundraiser:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/help-hilary-rivers-reestablish-her-life-after-ice-detention\">Help Hilary Rivers rebuild her life and cover medical costs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>On June 26, just a day after being named runner-up at the 30th Annual Miss &amp; Mr. Safe Latino pageant, an HIV\/AIDS awareness event created by Instituto Familiar de la Raza, <a href=\"https:\/\/48hills.org\/2025\/06\/drag-performer-taken-by-ice-morning-after-pride-week-pageant\/\">Rivers was detained by ICE<\/a> outside of immigration court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Born in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebar.com\/story\/155734\">El Salvador and raised in Guatemala, Rivers fled <\/a>to the United States in 2023 to seek asylum after surviving an assassination attempt and repeated attacks for being openly gay.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI survived an assassination attempt and many attacks. I left for Mexico first, hoping to stay there, but violence followed me,\u201d said Rivers. \u201cEventually, I moved to San Francisco for work. Here, I finally felt accepted for who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-02.jpg?resize=600%2C400&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69066\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-02.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-02.jpg?resize=360%2C240&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 360w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-02.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-02.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-02.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-02.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-02.jpg?w=1500&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Drag queen Hilary Rivers, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in June, sits at a community garden in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 2, 2025. Rivers was arrested by ICE outside immigration court and released in September after being granted asylum. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote \/ CatchLight Local<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What she thought would be a regular check-in appointment became an immigrant&#8217;s worst fear when she got detained by ICE. This came after the judge said they would need more time to review the case on June 26. That&#8217;s when ICE agents came up to her.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOfficers asked my name. I stayed quiet. My lawyer also didn\u2019t answer. They seemed to understand I was the person they wanted.\u201d said Rivers. \u201cThey grabbed me, pushed me against the wall and shackled me. My lawyer tried to intervene, but they pushed him aside. They put my hands and feet in chains. I\u2019ve never been arrested before. It was terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rivers was taken first to the San Francisco ICE Field Office and then transferred to the Golden State Annex detention center in McFarland, California, where she spent nearly three months. She described being held in freezing, overcrowded cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe had to stand for hours because there was no space to sit, no air, and we were freezing,\u201dshe said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last month, a coalition of immigrant-rights organizations filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging courthouse arrests of asylum-seekers and the conditions inside ICE\u2019s San Francisco Field Office. The lawsuit alleges that immigrants are sometimes held there for days in \u201cpunitive and inhumane\u201d conditions while awaiting transfer to detention centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite informing staff that she was part of the LGBTQ community, Rivers said there was no protection from harassment or sexual violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-16.jpg?resize=600%2C400&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-16.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-16.jpg?resize=360%2C240&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 360w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-16.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-16.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-16.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-16.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-16.jpg?w=1500&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Drag queen Hilary Rivers, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in June, sits at a community garden in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 2, 2025. Rivers was arrested by ICE outside immigration court and released in September after being granted asylum. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote \/ CatchLight Local<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStaff didn\u2019t protect me. One person came into my room when the door was locked, and another time I woke up to someone touching me,\u201d she said. \u201cI reported it using the tablet system and spoke to staff. They told me there would be an \u2019investigation,\u2019 but nothing changed. Later I saw paperwork that didn\u2019t match where I actually was housed, as if units were mislabeled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After months in detention, Rivers was granted asylum and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/help-hilary-rivers-reestablish-her-life-after-ice-detention\">released<\/a> on Saturday, September 20th. Since returning home, she\u2019s been recovering from the physical and emotional trauma she endured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI learned I\u2019d lost almost everything, housing and belongings. Some documents were missing. I\u2019m starting from zero. Physically, I still need surgery on my leg, which got worse during detention. But I\u2019m free, and that gives me strength.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An online <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/help-hilary-rivers-reestablish-her-life-after-ice-detention\">fundraising campaign<\/a> has been launched to help Rivers rebuild her life and cover medical costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite everything, Rivers said she refuses to give up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have to fight for our dreams. I paid a high price, but nothing is impossible. Don\u2019t let them break you. Don\u2019t sign things you don\u2019t understand. Know your rights. We all have the same worth, no matter where we\u2019re from.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>El Tecolote <em>reached out to ICE for comment, but officials said they could not respond without personal case details that Hilary declined to share for safety reasons.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After months in ICE detention, S.F. Latinx drag queen Hilary Rivers has been granted asylum and released.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88922,"featured_media":69075,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"small","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4],"tags":[],"coauthors":[25474,25531],"class_list":["post-68818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-voices","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>San Francisco drag queen Hilary Rivers freed from ICE detention<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After months in ICE detention, S.F. Latinx drag queen Hilary Rivers has been granted asylum and released.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"San Francisco drag queen Hilary Rivers freed from ICE detention\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After months in ICE detention, S.F. Latinx drag queen Hilary Rivers has been granted asylum and released.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"El Tecolote\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ElTecoloteSF\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-28T21:17:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-03T22:10:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-11.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Emma Garcia, 48 Hills\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@eltecolotesf\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@eltecolotesf\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Emma Garcia, 48 Hills\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/en\\\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/en\\\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Erika Carlos\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/98e31c3dda2abc936b778a5b89858b5b\"},\"headline\":\"\u201cIt was terrible\u201d: Latinx drag queen Hilary Rivers released from ICE detention after getting asylum\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-28T21:17:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-03T22:10:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/en\\\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":849,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/en\\\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-11.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&quality=89&ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"Voices\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/en\\\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/en\\\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\\\/\",\"name\":\"San Francisco drag queen Hilary Rivers freed from ICE detention\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/en\\\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/en\\\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-11.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&quality=89&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-28T21:17:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-03T22:10:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"After months in ICE detention, S.F. Latinx drag queen Hilary Rivers has been granted asylum and released.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/en\\\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/en\\\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-11.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&quality=89&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-11.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&quality=89&ssl=1\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"Drag queen Hilary Rivers, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in June, sits at a community garden in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 2, 2025. Rivers was arrested by ICE outside immigration court and released in September after being granted asylum. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote \\\/ CatchLight Local\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/\",\"name\":\"El Tecolote\",\"description\":\"San Francisco's Latinx newspaper since 1970\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"El Tecolote\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/ETlogo-1.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/ETlogo-1.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1\",\"width\":400,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"El Tecolote\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/ElTecoloteSF\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/eltecolotesf\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/eltecolotesf\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/98e31c3dda2abc936b778a5b89858b5b\",\"name\":\"Erika Carlos\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c475d3004521f4d0d5a6fdb0c06627dda6651ec3c3dfd7219ab52ae67cce05b1?s=96&d=mm&r=gc4d9fd78108a8a2ca4bcc88ab0d76304\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c475d3004521f4d0d5a6fdb0c06627dda6651ec3c3dfd7219ab52ae67cce05b1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c475d3004521f4d0d5a6fdb0c06627dda6651ec3c3dfd7219ab52ae67cce05b1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Erika Carlos\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/eltecolote.org\\\/content\\\/author\\\/erikacarlos\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"San Francisco drag queen Hilary Rivers freed from ICE detention","description":"After months in ICE detention, S.F. Latinx drag queen Hilary Rivers has been granted asylum and released.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"San Francisco drag queen Hilary Rivers freed from ICE detention","og_description":"After months in ICE detention, S.F. Latinx drag queen Hilary Rivers has been granted asylum and released.","og_url":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/","og_site_name":"El Tecolote","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ElTecoloteSF\/","article_published_time":"2025-10-28T21:17:52+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-03T22:10:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":1000,"url":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-11.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Emma Garcia, 48 Hills","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@eltecolotesf","twitter_site":"@eltecolotesf","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Emma Garcia, 48 Hills","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/"},"author":{"name":"Erika Carlos","@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/#\/schema\/person\/98e31c3dda2abc936b778a5b89858b5b"},"headline":"\u201cIt was terrible\u201d: Latinx drag queen Hilary Rivers released from ICE detention after getting asylum","datePublished":"2025-10-28T21:17:52+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-03T22:10:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/"},"wordCount":849,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-11.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&quality=89&ssl=1","articleSection":["News","Voices"],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/","url":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/","name":"San Francisco drag queen Hilary Rivers freed from ICE detention","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-11.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&quality=89&ssl=1","datePublished":"2025-10-28T21:17:52+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-03T22:10:09+00:00","description":"After months in ICE detention, S.F. Latinx drag queen Hilary Rivers has been granted asylum and released.","inLanguage":"en","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/en\/hilary-rivers-ice-sf\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-11.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&quality=89&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11022025-HILARYRIVERS-ET-PU-11.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&quality=89&ssl=1","width":1500,"height":1000,"caption":"Drag queen Hilary Rivers, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in June, sits at a community garden in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 2, 2025. Rivers was arrested by ICE outside immigration court and released in September after being granted asylum. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote \/ CatchLight Local"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/#website","url":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/","name":"El Tecolote","description":"San Francisco's Latinx newspaper since 1970","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/#organization","name":"El Tecolote","url":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ETlogo-1.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ETlogo-1.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1","width":400,"height":400,"caption":"El Tecolote"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ElTecoloteSF\/","https:\/\/x.com\/eltecolotesf","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/eltecolotesf\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/#\/schema\/person\/98e31c3dda2abc936b778a5b89858b5b","name":"Erika Carlos","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c475d3004521f4d0d5a6fdb0c06627dda6651ec3c3dfd7219ab52ae67cce05b1?s=96&d=mm&r=gc4d9fd78108a8a2ca4bcc88ab0d76304","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c475d3004521f4d0d5a6fdb0c06627dda6651ec3c3dfd7219ab52ae67cce05b1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c475d3004521f4d0d5a6fdb0c06627dda6651ec3c3dfd7219ab52ae67cce05b1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Erika Carlos"},"url":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/author\/erikacarlos\/"}]}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"El Tecolote","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88922"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68818"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69084,"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68818\/revisions\/69084"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69075"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68818"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=68818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}