John Washington

@jbwashing

John Washington is a staff writer at Arizona Luminaria, where he writes about immigration and border politics, as well as criminal-justice issues and the arts. He is also an award-winning translator, having translated Óscar Martinez, Anabel Hernández, and Sandra Rodriguez Nieto, among others. His most recent book, The Case for Open Borders, was published by Haymarket Books in 2024. Find more of his work at: https://johnwashington.substack.com/

The Long, Winding, and Painful Story of Asylum

The Long, Winding, and Painful Story of Asylum The Long, Winding, and Painful Story of Asylum

An ancient concept, asylum has become just another political tool in the hands of our government.

Apr 20, 2020 / Feature / John Washington

‘Maybe if I Had Papers, It Would Have Been Different’: Undocumented During a Pandemic

‘Maybe if I Had Papers, It Would Have Been Different’: Undocumented During a Pandemic ‘Maybe if I Had Papers, It Would Have Been Different’: Undocumented During a Pandemic

The crisis is putting undocumented and migrant communities in the crosshairs. 

Mar 25, 2020 / Heather Gies and John Washington

‘That First Night in America, I Couldn’t Sleep’

‘That First Night in America, I Couldn’t Sleep’ ‘That First Night in America, I Couldn’t Sleep’

After growing up in China, a young woman tries to find her place in Oakland.

Mar 16, 2020 / John Washington

Hear From Immigrants and Refugees in Their Own Words

Hear From Immigrants and Refugees in Their Own Words Hear From Immigrants and Refugees in Their Own Words

Migrant Voices, a series from The Nation.

Mar 16, 2020 / John Washington

The Epidemic of Hunger Strikes in Immigrant Detention Centers

The Epidemic of Hunger Strikes in Immigrant Detention Centers The Epidemic of Hunger Strikes in Immigrant Detention Centers

By one count, there have been 1,600 individuals participating in hunger strikes in the centers just since 2015. In one Louisiana center, three strikers are entering a dangerous pha...

Feb 13, 2020 / John Washington

‘It’s Like Living in Solitary Confinement, but Out in the World’

‘It’s Like Living in Solitary Confinement, but Out in the World’ ‘It’s Like Living in Solitary Confinement, but Out in the World’

Born in Soviet Ukraine and denied status in Canada and the United States, Karina describes the plight of statelessness—living without being recognized by any country at all.

Jan 23, 2020 / John Washington

Nikil Saval Is the Most Interesting Politician in America

Nikil Saval Is the Most Interesting Politician in America Nikil Saval Is the Most Interesting Politician in America

From Das Kapital to the State Capital, the Philadelphia State Senate candidate is pushing for a just and functioning economy for all.

Dec 20, 2019 / John Washington

‘We Are So Much More Than Victims’

‘We Are So Much More Than Victims’ ‘We Are So Much More Than Victims’

Batool was just a teenager when the Syrian civil war broke out. After living through the worst of the fighting and years in exile, she’s making a new life in Berkeley.

Dec 2, 2019 / John Washington

Bernie’s Immigration Plan Is Good

Bernie’s Immigration Plan Is Good Bernie’s Immigration Plan Is Good

The senator’s newly released plan—to halt deportations, abolish ICE, create a path to citizenship, and boost worker protections—marks a shift not only in Democratic policy but even...

Nov 8, 2019 / John Washington

Favianna Rodriguez

‘I Am Creating Objects That Only I Can Create’ ‘I Am Creating Objects That Only I Can Create’

Favianna Rodriguez on making art in “this white supremacist, fucked-up world.”

Nov 1, 2019 / John Washington

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