This week, we will focus on a specific story about an immigrant detention case in Pittsburgh- and hear firsthand from family impacted by these harsh repercussions for undocumented immigrants. Martin Esquivel-Hernandez was detained after a traffic stop, held by ICE, and eventually deported, leaving his family behind in Pennsylvania. Today, we will hear his story…
Read MoreThis week we speak with Naomi Paik about her 2016 book, Rightlessness. Her work addresses the most pressing contemporary issues, drawing together the brutal state of exception imposed on Haitian and Muslim prisoners in Guantanamo with the historical experience of Japanese internment camps and the current anti-immigrant drive. She focuses on the spaces – whether…
Read MoreThis week concludes our series on the mass escape from the Woomera immigrant detention center in 2002. Aren Aizura, who helped organize the solidarity camp outside the prison over Easter weekend of that year, tells us more about the aftermath: follow-up organizing with captive refugees, and the Australian government’s push to move the prisons to…
Read MoreIn the second episode of our series on the mass escape from the Woomera refugee detention center in Australia, Aren Aizura parses out the stakes of the protest camp, its participants, and the escalation to the breakout. From there, Aren moves to the escape itself, the emotional meeting between refugees and outside supporters, and the…
Read MoreIn 2002, imprisoned refugees inside Australia’s Woomera immigration prison coordinated with 2500 outside supporters who had pitched camp outside the facility. Their coordination allowed them to stage a mass breakout. This is the first of three episodes dedicated to telling this story, from an interview with a participant in the solidarity camp. It’s a vital…
Read MoreThis episode, we focus on two individuals who are working to organize support systems for communities that are directly affected or targeted by law enforcement and incarceration. First, we continue our conversation with Akili Shakur, wife of prisoner Shaka Shakur, who works to organize support groups for family members of prisoners. Then, we hear from…
Read MoreThis week’s episode begins to explore the intersections of borders, documentation, and incarceration. We look at the history of U.S. immigration policy, and how immigrant detention has become such a racialized institution. We also hear from a local latinx poet, and learn about local initiatives led by undocumented communities across the state.
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