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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Bellingham roofing company knew in advance about ICE raid that arrested dozens
Court records show that a Bellingham roofing company knew the Immigration and Customs Enforcement was investigating its workers weeks before an ICE raid led to 37 people being arrested in the early morning on April 2.
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Dozens of international students in Washington to have visas restored by Trump administration
At least 50 international students in Washington and Oregon whose immigration status was abruptly removed from a federal database will have their standing restored.
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Seattleite killed by Israeli sniper commemorated in legislation amid push for independent investigation
A new House resolution is mostly symbolic in its recognition of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi’s life. But a Senate bill, if passed, would pressure the federal government to independently investigate her killing by an Israeli sniper last year.
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Tacoma ICE center detentions spike by nearly 50% since March, says U.S. Rep. Randall
The number of people held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma has jumped almost 50% in the past month, according to numbers provided to a Washington congressmember.
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34 international students in Washington state deleted from federal database
The tally of international students in Washington state who have had their visa information deleted from a federal student database jumped to at least 34 people across the state this week. Some of those students have been able to secure legal help.
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Washington 'sanctuary law' allows ICE agents to pick up people leaving prison. They often don't
Washington state’s so-called “sanctuary law” is in the crosshairs of elected officials. But new data from the state’s department of corrections shows, even when the state works with federal immigration enforcement, the federal government isn’t always following through.
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14 student visas revoked at UW, Seattle University, and Gonzaga
The number of students in Washington state who have had their visas revoked has climbed to 14, with the addition of two students from Gonzaga University in Spokane.
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ICE arrests 37 in workplace raid at Bellingham roofing company
In an early morning raid Wednesday at Mt. Baker Roofing Company in Bellingham, immigration officials confirm they arrested 37 people who they say fraudulently represented their immigration status.
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Detained immigrant escapes from ICE center in Tacoma
Tacoma Police responded to a call from the Northwest ICE Processing Center Wednesday night about an escaped detainee. It remains unclear if the person remains at large or if they were returned to the facility.
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Seattle lawyers sue DHS to stop deportation of detained immigrants to ‘third countries’
Lawyers from Seattle and others around the country filed a lawsuit this week against the Department of Homeland Security over a recent practice of the agency to deport people who don’t have legal status in the U.S. to “third countries.”
