John Washington presents "How To Close a Camp"

John Washington presents *How to Close a Camp*, an urgent argument for dismantling the U.S. immigrant detention system. Drawing on conversations with veteran organizers, Washington examines successful campaigns that have closed detention facilities or prevented new ones from opening, offering practical strategies for weakening the infrastructure of detention and resisting xenophobic and authoritarian violence.

Washington is an award-winning journalist and translator whose work covers the border, climate change, democracy, and related issues. He is the author of *The Case for Open Borders* and *The Dispossessed: A Story of Asylum at the US-Mexico Border and Beyond*. His translation work includes *The Hollywood Kid* by Óscar Martínez and Juan Martínez and *Blood Barrios* by Alberto Arce, which received a PEN Translates Award. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.

When: Saturday, November 21st, 2026

Showtime: 7:00 pm

Venue: Red Emma’s, 3128 Greenmount Avenue, Baltimore, MD

Tickets: Price not available

Presenter: John Washington

Event focus: The presentation explores how communities can challenge immigrant detention, close existing camps, and block or slow the development of new detention facilities.

Background: Washington has written for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Nation, The Intercept, and other publications. He has also translated books by Anabel Hernández, Sandra Rodríguez Nieto, and other authors, including recent co-translations with Daniela Ugaz.

Accessibility and logistics: The page does not provide accessibility information, age guidance, or a run time.