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/

‘How Do You Address Disappearance?’: A Q&A With Valeria Luiselli

‘How Do You Address Disappearance?’: A Q&A With Valeria Luiselli ‘How Do You Address Disappearance?’: A Q&A With Valeria Luiselli

Her new novel, Lost Children Archive, spotlights the mistreatment of migrant children, and in the process, interrogates timely questions about storytelling during times of crisis.&...

Apr 1, 2019 / John Washington

‘They Had Found Out That I Am Gay, and They Were Going to Kill Me’

‘They Had Found Out That I Am Gay, and They Were Going to Kill Me’ ‘They Had Found Out That I Am Gay, and They Were Going to Kill Me’

The Nigerian asylee running New York City’s only homeless shelter for refugees.

Mar 27, 2019 / John Washington

El Salvador’s Pivotal Election

El Salvador’s Pivotal Election El Salvador’s Pivotal Election

Is presidential candidate Nayib Bukele a social media-savvy maverick, or a shape-shifting political opportunist?  

Jan 29, 2019 / Nelson Rauda and John Washington

Portraits From the Exodus

Portraits From the Exodus Portraits From the Exodus

Members of the migrant caravans, stranded in Tijuana, explain why they traveled thousands of miles from their homes.

Dec 14, 2018 / Photo Essay / John Washington and Tracie Williams

They’re Refugees, Fleeing Gang Violence and Domestic Abuse. Why Won’t the Trump Administration Let Them In?

They’re Refugees, Fleeing Gang Violence and Domestic Abuse. Why Won’t the Trump Administration Let Them In? They’re Refugees, Fleeing Gang Violence and Domestic Abuse. Why Won’t the Trump Administration Let Them In?

How one immigration case has led to a major impact on asylum claims.

Nov 28, 2018 / Laura Gottesdiener and John Washington

4 Years After the Forced Disappearance of 43 Students, a Father Is Still Looking

4 Years After the Forced Disappearance of 43 Students, a Father Is Still Looking 4 Years After the Forced Disappearance of 43 Students, a Father Is Still Looking

The disappearance of the 43 students from Ayotzinapa is not over for Jorge Antonio Tizapa Legideño.

Nov 12, 2018 / StudentNation / John Washington

Migrant Caravan

The Trump Administration Just Unleashed a New Attack on Asylum Seekers The Trump Administration Just Unleashed a New Attack on Asylum Seekers

Today’s presidential proclamation shutting down asylum eligibility is illegal under international and US law.

Nov 9, 2018 / John Washington

Trump’s Immigration Policy ‘Fever Dream’

Trump’s Immigration Policy ‘Fever Dream’ Trump’s Immigration Policy ‘Fever Dream’

Child detention, reduced asylum, a pointless wall: What unites these hateful policies?

Oct 5, 2018 / John Washington

Children Detention Center

The Family-Separation Crisis Is Not Over The Family-Separation Crisis Is Not Over

One father deported to Honduras struggles to describe the pain of remaining separated from his son.

Sep 5, 2018 / John Washington

Prison labor Georgia

What Is Prison Abolition? What Is Prison Abolition?

The movement that is trying to think beyond prisons as a tool to solve society’s problems.

Jul 31, 2018 / John Washington

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