Book Talk: John Washington’s “How to Close a Camp” with José Olivares

Reporter and translator John Washington presents his book How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention, published by Haymarket Books, in conversation with independent investigative journalist José Olivares. Washington and Olivares previously collaborated on reporting that exposed systemic abuse in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, including nonconsensual gynecological procedures performed on detained women at Georgia’s Irwin County Detention Center.

The discussion examines the expansion of both private and public immigrant detention facilities across the United States. Drawing on dispatches from community campaigns, the speakers detail how detainees, grassroots organizers, and municipal coalitions have resisted detention and deportation, analyzing the legislative, legal, and direct-action tactics used to compel local governments to cancel federal contracts and close facilities.

Admission is free, with a five-dollar suggested donation and sliding-scale tickets up to nineteen dollars. Advance registration is requested online through Withfriends. In accordance with Word Up community safety guidelines, attendees are encouraged to wear masks inside the space. Recirculation is wheelchair-accessible via a street-level entrance ramp, and interior bookshelves are movable on wheels. The restrooms are gender-neutral but not fully ADA-compliant. Sound is amplified by microphone, and free American Sign Language interpretation is available upon advance request by contacting events@wordupbooks.com.

The venue is located near West 160th Street, accessible via the 1 train at 157th Street, the A and C trains at 163rd Street, and the M4 and M5 bus lines along Broadway. The event is organized and hosted by Recirculation, a secondhand bookstore and community lending project of Word Up Community Bookshop. Further details are available on the Word Up Community Bookshop website.