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Mamady Camara, a 20-year-old caregiver and asylum seeker in Michigan, is currently being held<\/a> in detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On Jan. 28, a routine check-in turned into his detainment at North Lake Detention Center in northern Michigan. Last month, he was denied bond after being labeled a \u201cflight risk,\u201d despite extensive documentation and community support. The decision came without much explanation \u2014 part of a common pattern in our justice system, where detention stretches on and due process feels out of reach. In the meantime, his community has been doing what they can: raising money for legal fees, writing letters, organizing and showing up. One of those efforts took the form of a mutual aid concert, held in solidarity for Camara.<\/p>\n Walking into Canterbury House<\/a> didn\u2019t feel like entering a typical concert venue. I stepped past people lined along the walls, others sitting cross-legged on pillow seats or on sofas with cups of tea in their hands. I arrived mid-set, during a performance by an eclectic five-man jazz ensemble. Their performance was masterfully backdropped by the house\u2019s large glass planes and the storm of blowing leaves outside. There was no chatter. In its place was a quiet, focused awe. People leaned forward, watching and listening. I took a seat on the carpet and tried to settle into it as crashing cymbals, thunder sticks and slightly discordant yet dovetailing notes filled the room.<\/p>\n By the door, a table displayed prints for sale. Most were block prints, hand-carved and inked \u2014 some by local artists, others by campus organizers and activist groups. It was pay-what-you-can, all proceeds going toward Camara\u2019s cause. I picked up one print: a linocut rendering of the one-legged worm guy<\/a> from Richard Scarry\u2019s children\u2019s books. It read, \u201cFear is the mind-killer.\u201d The infamous line from \u201cDune\u201d felt oddly fitting in this space \u2014 something about collective anxiety, and the effort to move through it anyway.<\/p>\n Between sets, the room loosened. Laughter bubbled in corners, friends checked in with performers and Sasha G, organizer and director of NeuroArts Productions<\/a>, reminded everyone why we were there. She knows Camara personally and framed the evening\u2019s mission simply: raise funds, show support, enjoy the music and make connections tangible. People picked up pens to draw pictures or write letters to Camara in French, his native language. Soundtracking these moments of a community in motion and assembly were techno and soft dance vinyls, expertly curated and spun by DJ King Sophia.\u00a0<\/p>\n