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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Advocates pack Seattle courtroom to support immigrant threatened with deportation to Laos
Close to 200 people packed a federal courtroom and an overflow room in Seattle Friday morning to show support for a West Seattle man who was detained by ICE in July after decades of checking in with federal officials without any incident.
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WA veteran to remain detained in Tacoma immigrant lockup following bond hearing
A Pakistani native and U.S. military veteran will not be able to bond out of the Northwest ICE Processing Center, according to his family.
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2 firefighters arrested by Border Patrol at Washington’s Bear Gulch Fire
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two firefighters working on the Bear Gulch Fire on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula on Wednesday, accusing them of being in the U.S. illegally.
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As DACA recipients lose federal health benefits, Washington state offers immigrants an alternative
Starting this week, immigrants in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will no longer qualify for federal health insurance. But Washington is one of few states where DACA recipients will be able to keep their government health insurance — with some caveats.
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Wife of WA vet arrested by ICE at citizenship interview speaks out
A Washington National Guard veteran was arrested Thursday during his final citizenship interview at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building in Tukwila. He is now being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.
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Secrecy and enforced disappearances: WA human rights group sounds alarm about ICE
The University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights is warning that federal immigration action has crossed a new boundary and is now breaking international humanitarian law.
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High school theater manager to bond out of Tacoma immigrant lockup
A theater manager at Juanita High School in Kirkland is set to be released on bond from the Northwest ICE Processing Center after nearly two weeks.
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Under Trump’s ICE, people without criminal history increasingly targeted in WA
On the social media pages for the Seattle Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, scrolling lists of mug shots highlight people with criminal convictions. But these posts don’t reflect a growing pattern of who ICE is taking into custody.
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Wednesday Evening Headlines
Brian Kohberger is going to jail for the rest of his life, Folklorico Festival is canceled due to concerns about immigration enforcement, and President's Trump push for AI data centers might present a problem in Washington. It’s our daily roundup of top stories from the KUOW newsroom, with host Gustavo Sagrero.
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King County ramps up efforts to protect immigrants from ICE
The King County Council passed a resolution Tuesday that bolsters protections for immigrants and prevents county agencies from sharing information that could be used for immigration enforcement.