Hilary Rivers , a San Francisco drag artist who was arrested by ICE during Pride month, makes her return to the stage on Friday, Nov. 7 at Oakland’s White Horse for a performance that doubles as a fundraiser as she rebuilds her life.

Born in El Salvador and raised in Guatemala, Rivers came to San Francisco as an asylum seeker fleeing persecution for her LGBTQ+ identity. The day after she placed second in Miss & Mr. Safe Latino, a long-running pageant presented by Instituto Familiar de la Raza, ICE agents arrested her at a routine immigration appointment.

In a recent interview with El Tecolote and 48 Hills , Rivers recounted her harrowing three months in immigration detention at the Golden State Annex detention center in McFarland, California, where she was kept in a freezing col

See Full Page