ICE Detained Drag Queen Hilary Rivers but the Streets Are Fighting Back

The Bay is buzzing after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) swooped in and detained beloved drag queen Hilary Rivers right outside a San Francisco immigration courtroom. Rivers isn’t the only queer person ICE has detained lately. Activists point to at least 20 similar arrests of asylum seekers right after their court appearances, including that of Andry Hernández Romero, a trans man who was sent to a Salvadoran prison, CNN reports. 

These high-profile actions come amid a broader escalation in federal enforcement under DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who has ramped up expedited removal authority — fast-track tactics that critics say undermine the U.S. asylum system’s core promise of due process. Across the country, ICE has conducted raids on homes, workplaces, and public spaces, leaving thousands of families traumatized.

Now, activists are fighting to free Rivers. His case has prompted outrage in the Bay Area, with folks demanding he be released from ICE custody.

ICE detained Hilary Rivers after an asylum hearing.

ICE took Rivers, a Guatemalan-born performer known for lighting up the city’s queer scene, into custody on June 26 after an asylum hearing ruled in his favor. Activists, community leaders, and fellow performers have mobilized, demanding his immediate release. Rivers fled Guatemala after enduring “severe” persecution for being gay. He sought refuge in the U.S. under asylum protection.

At his June 26 hearing, a government attorney moved to dismiss his application; however, the immigration judge denied that motion. Shortly after, once Rivers left the courthouse, ICE agents grabbed him. Then, they transported him to the Golden State Annex detention center near Bakersfield.

Community outcry erupted immediately. On July 3, dozens of supporters gathered at Galería de la Raza for a letter-writing event to show Rivers he’s not alone. “His primary concern is for people to understand that he was doing things following the law and that he was not a criminal, that he was following the rules,” Ani Rivera, executive director at Galería de la Raza, told SFGate. 

His legal team has requested a bond hearing. They cite his clean record, strong community ties, and full compliance with every court order. Federal policy allows non-citizens with pending asylum cases to qualify for bond. However, ICE’s expanded use of expedited removal has complicated the process by enabling officers to fast-track deportations without full hearings.

ICE raids have taken place all over America. 

ICE has detained a record 57,000 people nationwide, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Many never had the opportunity to plead their case before an immigration judge. Community groups estimate that LGBTQIA+ immigrants face disproportionate risk. 

In particular, the timing of Rivers’ detention in San Francisco — just days before the city’s 2025 Pride Parade — was pivotal. As a result, activists used the momentum to rally support for Rivers, despite facing legal hurdles. Claudia Cabrera, program director at the Instituto Familiar de la Raza, has urged LGBTQIA+ community members to push back vigorously. “There are really no words to describe the feeling this provokes in us as immigrants and those who have been in Hilary’s shoes,” Cabrera told SFGate. “This is a moment to resist.”

Do you think the expedited removal process violates due process rights? Comment below!

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