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John Washington

@jwashing.bsky.social
4.1K followers 678 following 300 posts

Journalist and Translator. Reporting for @lookoutnews.bsky.social Newsletter, short essays on books and politics: johnwashington.substack.com Latest book, The Case for Open Borders: www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2199-t…

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Reposted by John Washington
Arizona Right Watch @azrww.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Tucson-based humanitarian group Humane Borders issued a statement announcing that federal land agencies ended the permits for their live-saving water stations including those at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument which have helped people for over 25 years. This is a loss of 30% of their stations.
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This SCOTUS ruling -- as a group deported to Equatorial Guinea remain incommunicado, imprisoned, and under serious threat. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
US supreme court allows Trump officials to resume deportations to third countries
Conservative majority temporarily lifts lower-court decision as liberal justices dissent from ruling
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
SCOOP: Whistleblower recounts allegations of sexual abuse in former Arizona prison that went unreported. Records show multiple such cases and hint at coverup. The facility is due to reopen soon as ICE camp. for @lookoutnews.bsky.social and @theintercept.com www.lookoutnews.org/mtc-facility...
lookoutnews.org
Prison That Didn’t Report Sex Abuse Allegation Against Staffer to Reopen as ICE Camp
A whistleblower says the warden didn’t make a federally required disclosure. Now the company is turning the Arizona prison into an ICE jail.
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
IIRIRA remains one of the most authoritarian anti-freedom, pro-mass surveillance laws passed by the U.S. Congress in the last 50 years. A legacy of the height of "tough on crime" in the 1990s that is still shaping governance and freedoms today.
he Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsi- bility Act (IIRIRA). The relevant IIRIRA provision, 8 U. S. C. §1373, contains two notwithstanding clauses. The first, section 1373(a), provides: “Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal, State, or local law, a Federal, State, or local govern- ment entity or official may not prohibit, or in any way restrict, any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, the [DHS] information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlaw- ful, of any individual.” The second, section 1373(b), which is captioned “Additional authority of government entities,” similarly provides: “Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal, State, or local law, no person or agency may prohibit, or in any way restrict, a Federal, State, or local govern- ment entity from doing any of the following with re- spect to information regarding the immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual.” Th
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
So f'ing proud to work for a media outlet that would win such a distinction: "Best Protection against Fascism" goes to... @lookoutnews.bsky.social I also got called a "veteran reporter," lol. Love it @phoenixnewtimes.com! www.phoenixnewtimes.com/best-of-phoe...
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 24/09/2026
NEW: Emergency motion asks First Circuit if its decision overturning DHS's third-country removal policy is effective immediately or not. They cite my reporting, and reveal tomorrow's ICE flight to make TCR stops in Central African Republic, Rwanda and Burundi. www.courtlistener.com/docket/72347...
courtlistener.com
Motion (other) – #00108513219 in D.V.D. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (1st Cir., 26-1212) – CourtListener.com
EMERGENCY MOTION to Clarify the Effectiveness of this Court's Decision or, In the Alternative, Confirm the Stay is Lifted or Issue the Mandate filed by Appellees D.V.D., E.F.D., M.M. and O.C.G.. Serve...
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
More than 1,050 people died within range of border surveillance towers between 2015 and early 2026. www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1...
technologyreview.com
The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can’t it catch people before they die?
Surveillance towers, increasingly powered by AI, promised faster responses to crossings. Our investigation of deaths near the towers found they are failing to deliver.
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Haymarket Books @haymarketbooks.org · 19/09/2026
Our Fall 2026 catalog is here! New books from @jwashing.bsky.social, Noura Erakat and John Reynolds, Saul Williams, @khadijahqueen.com, Daniel Hosang, @hadasthier.bsky.social, @js-tan.bsky.social and Clarissa Redwine, Marwan Bishara, and many others!
haymarketbooks.org
Haymarket Books Fall 2026 Catalog
Haymarket Books Fall 2026 Catalog
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Carly Goodman @carlygoodman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Read Bryant’s book!!!! press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
press.uchicago.edu
For Customers Only
Public toilets determine who gets everyday dignity, freedom of movement, and civic belonging—and who doesn’t.Americans have nowhere to go. Nationwide, countless public spaces lack one crucial thing: b...
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
On the tragedy of 3rd Country Deportations: johnwashington.substack.com/p/offshoring...
johnwashington.substack.com
offshoring torture
the reality of Third Country Deportations
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Update, Day 49 of the tree-sit in Lochiel: three of the land defenders were arrested today. From press release: "Sheriffs appeared surprised to arrive to a scene of whimsical animals disrupting the construction."
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
In response to this, the DeSantis administration releases a statement saying that they'd make this outrageous cage "even smaller if we could." The Department of Homeland Security's own Inspector General said it violated every detention standard and posed a significant danger to health and safety.
"At least ten million illegal aliens entered our country under the Biden administration. Florida decided to do something about it," Lanfranconi said. "The left-wing media wants to focus on a confinement area for violent criminal aliens who have proven they cannot remain peaceful while awaiting deportation. While it adheres to all federal standards for criminal confinement, we'd make it even smaller if we could."
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 12/09/2026
Excellent story from @jwashing.bsky.social about Pietro Graza, a Brazilian man also being held in Equatorial Guinea. He’s been silent for two days. www.lookoutnews.org/ice-sent-gay...
lookoutnews.org
ICE Sent a Gay Brazilian Man to Equatorial Guinea. Now He’s Gone Silent.
Pietro Graza was granted protection from deportation to Brazil because he feared torture due to his sexuality. He says he was shackled for 36 hours and taken to a hotel where he and other deportees re...
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
New story: a group of people deported from the US to Liberia and then Equatorial Guinea faced threats, guns, and have now gone silent. Latest for @lookoutnews.bsky.social www.lookoutnews.org/ice-sent-gay...
lookoutnews.org
ICE Sent a Gay Brazilian Man to Equatorial Guinea. Now He’s Gone Silent.
Pietro Graza was granted protection from deportation to Brazil because he feared torture due to his sexuality. He says he was shackled for 36 hours and taken to a hotel where he and other deportees re...
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Update: there’s yet another proposed Border Patrol station planned for Southern Arizona. Story from Patagonia Regional Times: patagoniaregionaltimes.org/customs-and-...
patagoniaregionaltimes.org
Customs and Border Protection scoping out new Border Patrol station near Sonoita - Patagonia Regional Times
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has been notified of the U.S. Custom and Border Protection’s intention of building a new border patrol station in the Sonoita area.
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Simulated Chollas @simulatedchollas.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
“The proposal is in addition to plans to expand a Border Patrol checkpoint on I-19 south of Tucson.”
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Scoop: Border Patrol is looking to build a major new station just outside of Tucson. The stated goal is to bring in more personnel and increase apprehensions. www.lookoutnews.org/border-patro...
lookoutnews.org
Border Patrol Plans New Station Near Tucson
A CBP letter obtained by LOOKOUT reveals plans for an 87-acre Border Patrol station in Southern Arizona that the agency says will help increase apprehensions.
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Tensions rising in Arizona as border wall contractors keep pushing forward, yet facing stiff resistance. BP Swat-style teams descended on Tohono O'odham Nation yesterday to "protect" wall construction crews. In Lochiel, tree-sit folks stood off three separate ongoing attempts to keep wall-building
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Incredible reporting here from @aurabogado.bsky.social for @injusticewatch.org Folks in other states would do very well to follow this model to keep peeling back what's underneath sanctuary and sanctuary adjacent messaging.
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Situating the month-old and ongoing tree sit blocking border wall construction in S. AZ in the legacy of border imperialism. And quoting from @joriegraham.bsky.social's latest book of poems, "Killing Spree." johnwashington.substack.com/p/on-the-fre...
johnwashington.substack.com
On the Freedom to Destroy
border wall battles in Arizona
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Im doing 3 events in 3 days next week in Arizona -book presentation in Tempe at @changinghands.bsky.social on Thursday Aug 27 -international panel on resistance to immigration enforcement in Tucson, Southside Presbyterian Church, Aug 28 -community discussion at @borderlinks.bsky.social Aug 29
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
I went on @democracynow.org this morning to discuss reporting I did for @lookoutnews.bsky.social on the binational tree sit blocking border wall construction in southern Arizona. www.democracynow.org/2026/8/19/ar...
democracynow.org
Activist Tree-Sit in Ancient Cottonwood Continues Against Border Wall Construction in Arizona
A protest camp in the small border town of Lochiel, Arizona, is seeking to stop federal contractors from building another portion of President Trump’s border barrier with Mexico. At the center of the ...
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I'm moved and honored by this astute review of How to Close a Camp. @haymarketbooks.org
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 12/08/2026
Book of the Month 📚: “How to Close a Camp” by @jwashing.bsky.social “A strangely hopeful book that looks at the longer arc of history to find lessons for abolition today.”
conversationalist.org
Book of the Month: “How to Close a Camp” by John Washington
“How to Close a Camp” is a strangely hopeful book that looks at the longer arc of history to find lessons for abolition today.
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Here’s article from Lookout on the tree sit blocking border wall construction in Lochiel, Arizona Including this photo of the tree at night www.lookoutnews.org/lochiel-tree...
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Proud of this collaboration between @lookoutnews.bsky.social and @highcountrynews.org, an interview with Karla Saenz, trans activist and immigrant who for for rights and recognition inside Eloy Detention Center. www.hcn.org/issues/58-8/...
hcn.org
What it’s like inside Eloy’s detention center as a trans woman - High Country News
A trans Venezuelan asylum seeker details 44 days inside one of the country'sdeadliest detention centers — and why she refuses to stop fighting.
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
This is the tree people have been sitting in for now 13 days, blocking construction of a fast approaching double border wall in Southern Arizona’s San Rafael Valley.
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Death Panel @deathpanel.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
In our latest, we speak with John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social about his new book How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention www.patreon.com/deathpanelpo...
patreon.com
How to Close a Camp w/ John Washington (08/10/26) | The Death Panel
Beatrice speaks with John Washington about how detention camps are at once essential pieces of the immigration enforcement regime and also o
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Arizona Right Watch @azrww.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Tonight in Tucson was the book launch for @jwashing.bsky.social’s How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention, a timely read on ICE concentration camps and how communities have come together to successfully stop these crimes against humanity. Highly recommend.
A chalk bar sign 
It reads
Book release
How to Close a Camp
John Washington
Antigones
Derechos Humanos
7:30 PM
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
I wrote about Ceuta, its history, and the failings of Spanish and European governments in responding to the recent moment of mass migration. johnwashington.substack.com/p/european-h...
johnwashington.substack.com
European Hordes
let's be honest about the dangers coming from "this" side of the border
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Aaron Regunberg @aaronregunberg.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
I reviewed @jwashing.bsky.social's new work, How to Close a Camp, for @newrepublic.com. I highly recommend the book! newrepublic.com/article/2134...
newrepublic.com
“Closing a Detention Center Is Rarely a Single Strike. It’s a Siege.”
John Washington’s How to Close a Camp is a practical guide to opposing ICE and a strong moral argument for action.
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Feels like a good time to re-up this article I did for @thenation.com back in 2017. www.thenation.com/article/arch...
thenation.com
Why We Need a Whistle-Blower in US Customs and Border Protection
The agency, which oversees Border Patrol, is one of the most opaque and unaccountable in our government.
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Emily Bregel @emilybregel.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
A Phoenix man from Egypt has spent the last three months confined in a decommissioned hotel in Equatorial Guinea, after ICE deported him there without warning. @tucson.com tucson.com/news/local/b...
tucson.com
Arizona man languishes in African hotel after third-country deportation
A 30-year-old man, Ahmed Soliman, is confined in a decommissioned hotel in Equatorial Guinea after being deported there by ICE without warning. He faces the threat of return to Egypt, where he may fac...
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The Conversationalist @conversationalist.org · 31/07/2026
Book of the Month 📚: “How to Close a Camp” by @jwashing.bsky.social “A strangely hopeful book that looks at the longer arc of history to find lessons for abolition today.”
conversationalist.org
Book of the Month: “How to Close a Camp” by John Washington
“How to Close a Camp” is a strangely hopeful book that looks at the longer arc of history to find lessons for abolition today.
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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 30/07/2026
"A concentration camp, in its most basic definition, is a place where a targeted civilian population, not necessarily accused of a crime, is detained and at least some of their basic rights are suspended," writes @jwashing.bsky.social. "That’s precisely what’s happening in the United States today."
theguardian.com
Don’t call them ICE detention centers. Call them camps | John Washington
I’ve spent a decade reporting on immigration enforcement. The word ‘camp’ best captures the political function of these facilities
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
New piece up at The Guardian, arguing for more accurate language in writing about immigration detention. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Don’t call them ICE detention centers. Call them camps | John Washington
I’ve spent a decade reporting on immigration enforcement. The word ‘camp’ best captures the political function of these facilities
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Max Granger @maxgranger.info · 26/07/2026
An incredibly insightful conversation, for the launch an indispensable new book by @jwashing.bsky.social, out now @haymarketbooks.org. With @danieldenvir.bsky.social, @silkys13.bsky.social, and @harshawalia.bsky.social
m.youtube.com
How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention
YouTube video by Haymarket Books
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Greater Lafayette Indivisible ❌ 👑 @lafayetteindivisible.com · 25/07/2026
Keep up the pressure, #Hoosiersky. Read this excerpt of "How to Close a Camp" by @jwashing.bsky.social Buy the book or ask your local library to. Or both. www.texasobserver.org/excerpt-how-...
texasobserver.org
Excerpt: How to Close a Camp
Detention was sold as both a law-and-order necessity and an economic opportunity, welding together the rac­ist politics of the drug war with the rise of private prisons.
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@charleshb@mastodon.sdf.org @charleshb.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
This Is Hell! w/ Chuck( @chuckmertz.bsky.social )Mertz "White Supremacy At The US Border / John( @jwashing.bsky.social )Washington" podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
podcasts.apple.com
White Supremacy At The US Border / John Washington
Podcast Episode · This Is Hell! · July 21 · 1h 40m
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
A transgender woman in Eloy Detention Center told @repyassansari.bsky.social that she was strapped to a wheelchair and interrogated, and then sent to solitary confinement. My latest conversation with the congresswoman for @lookoutnews.bsky.social www.lookoutnews.org/a-trans-woma...
lookoutnews.org
A Trans Woman Says She Was Handcuffed to a Wheelchair at an Arizona Immigration Camp
Genesis says she was restrained and interrogated for hours after being accused of soliciting sex. Her account, shared with Rep. Yassamin Ansari, adds to growing allegations of abuse inside Eloy Detent...
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
I had a great conversation about immigration camps, with @brittashoot.com for @prismreports.org
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Here's another excerpt of my new book, now up at @texasobserver.org www.texasobserver.org/excerpt-how-... @haymarketbooks.org
texasobserver.org
Excerpt: How to Close a Camp
Detention was sold as both a law-and-order necessity and an economic opportunity, welding together the rac­ist politics of the drug war with the rise of private prisons.
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
New book is out today: www.haymarketbooks.org/events/819-h...
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chuckmertz.bsky.social @chuckmertz.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Only one show this week! Tuesday, @jwashing.bsky.social on "How to Close a Camp" @haymarketbooks.org). Later, John joins @harshawalia.bsky.social, and past guests @silkyweineck.bsky.social and @danieldenvir.bsky.social for an online Haymarket event. www.patreon.com/thisishell/p...
patreon.com
This Week in Hell! Close the Camps! | This Is Hell!
Only one new show this week! After a grueling week and hosting the party this past weekend, Chuck needs a break. Tuesday, journalist John
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Interrupting Criminalization @interruptcrim.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Our friends at @haymarketbooks.org are holding an online discussion on the struggle to dismantle the immigrant detention system. With @silkys13.bsky.social, @jwashing.bsky.social, @harshawalia.bsky.social, & @danieldenvir.bsky.social! Register for link to the livestreamed video the day of the event:
haymarketbooks.org
How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention
Join John Washington, Silky Shah, Harsha Walia, and Daniel Denvir as they discuss the struggle to dismantle the immigrant detention system.
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Reece Jones @reecejones.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
My next book SMUGGLER is out October 20! “Timely, stranger-than-fiction, and impossible to put down – truly a book for our dizzying moment” – Greg Grandin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The End of the Myth Available for preorder now 🙏 : www.simonandschuster.com/books/Smuggl...
Cover of Smuggler by Reece Jones and Greg Boos depicting the Smuggler's Inn on the US-Canada border
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
New book drops in one week. Find info and events at johnwashington.substack.com @haymarketbooks.org
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John Washington @jwashing.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Just got a troubling phishing attempt from someone impersonating Susanna Porter at @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social They're such enticing, clickable outreaches, playing into the hopes of authors. Careful folks! And appreciate the warning on your website, Penguin.
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Haymarket Books @haymarketbooks.org · 09/07/2026
How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention Join @jwashing.bsky.social, @silkys13.bsky.social, @harshawalia.bsky.social, and @danieldenvir.bsky.social for this virtual conversation hosted with @detentionwatchnetwork.org and @thedigradio.bsky.social RSVP to attend:
events.haymarketbooks.org
Register Now – How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention – YouTube
How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention – YouTube, Tue Jul 21, 2026 - Join John Washington, Silky Shah, Harsha Walia, and Dan Denvir as they discuss the struggle to ...
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