"The Detention Lottery" is an immersive theater experience, written by Seattle playwright Margaret O’Donnell, a retired immigration attorney. Lawyers from the community play the parts of judges, ICE officers and guards; and volunteers from the audience play the parts of detainees. 

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants move through the federal detention system each year. The larger detention centers, such as the one in Tacoma, have their own courts. But little is known about what happens behind closed doors where cameras are not allowed.

O’Donnell notes that, because the state of immigration has changed since “The Detention Lottery” first debuted in 2018, so too has her play. She has rewritten it to reflect the court’s current interpretation of jurisdiction. As a result, she says, “the judges have less discretion today, not more. At the Tacoma facility, ICE officials, not judges, decide who gets bond.”

This production, hosted by Congregation Beth Shalom, our across-the-street neighbors, benefits Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest (AIDNW), a non-profit that supports immigrants when released from the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.

Tickets are $20. You can purchase advance tickets online. If you prefer to pay at the door, please RSVP to officeassistant@aidnw.org by December 1 to reserve your spot.

Congregation Beth Shalom is located at 6800 35th Ave NE, one block north of UUC.