Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez
Race, Identity, and Immigration Reporter
About
Gustavo covers race, identity, and immigration in the Pacific Northwest. His reporting is focused on tribal sovereignty, how a diversity of communities leverage their power to effect change in and beyond their neighborhoods, and the impacts of immigration policy at the state level.
He arrived to KUOW in 2023, and previously wrote about northern Nevada's tribal efforts during mid-term elections, addressing the legacy of state-funded boarding schools and the impacts of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples' epidemic. He's also written about healthcare access for undocumented Idaho farmworkers during the pandemic and Juneteenth celebrations in Idaho.
Gustavo was born and raised in the sagebrush of Boise, Idaho. He spent many years trying to get into a career in journalism, juggling work, school, and community radio before settling into the restaurant industry for eight years. He was able to work in award-winning kitchens before the pandemic threw him back into journalism. In his off time he takes documentary photography, participates in the Purépecha community, and dreams of pit barbecuing and carnitas.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English, Spanish
Pronouns: he/him
Professional Affiliations: Founding Board Member, Voces
Stories
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ICE stops Native American actress Elaine Miles in Redmond
Amid the increase of reports of ICE arrests in the cities surrounding Seattle over the past weeks, a member of a federally recognized tribe says she was also stopped and interrogated by apparent immigration officials.
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As reports of ICE emerge in Seattle suburbs, neighborhood watches take shape
Outside Seattle, the suburbs are often hubs for Latino and first-generation immigrant communities. Reports of ICE arrests in some of those smaller cities have been trending over the past weeks, although the official numbers are tough to pinpoint. Some suburban communities are responding to immigration enforcement in different ways.
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Issaquah on edge after ICE arrest outside preschool
A series of immigration arrests has shaken an Issaquah preschool community over the past week. The arrests have also had a ripple effect throughout the city’s education system.
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Immigration agencies accessed WA law enforcement license plate data, report finds
A new report from the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights found that federal immigration enforcement has been mining license plate data from local law enforcement in Washington state.
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Monday Evening Headlines
9th Circuit rules that Trump can send troops into Portland, rural hospitals will be hit hard by Medicaid cuts, the Mariners are one win away from a World Series appearance.
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Judge rules ICE unlawfully detained a Seattle man. He's not alone
As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement looks to deport a million people nationwide, attorneys say unlawful arrests are on the rise.
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Is Seattle next? Mayor Harrell signs orders to protect city amid Trump's National Guard escalations
Mayor Bruce Harrell on Wednesday signed two executive orders aimed at protecting Seattle and its residents from federal law enforcement actions taken by President Donald Trump's administration.
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As 10-year contract to run Tacoma ICE center ends, lawmakers demand transparency for the next
The contract to run the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma is up for renewal this week. As the current contract between ICE and the private prison company GEO Group expires, lawmakers are pushing for transparency after years of human rights concerns at the facility.
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ICE launches ad campaign to recruit Seattle-area police
TV ads now airing in Seattle are trying to recruit local police to work for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Washington farmworker who led union efforts talks life after ICE detention, returning to Mexico
Alfredo Juarez Zeferino, who came to the U.S. when he was 8, has been back in Guerrero for more than a month now after deciding to end his deportation fight.
