We Are Home Action (WAHA) is a left-of-center immigration activist organization that is a project of the left-of-center Sixteen Thirty Fund, which is administered by the left-of-center Arabella Advisors advocacy network. 1
WAHA supports President Joe Biden’s immigration policies 2 and has run mid-six figure nationwide ad campaigns in English and Spanish 3 with the left-of-center Service Employees International Union (SEIU) calling for a pathway to citizenship for the so-called “DREAMers,” illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children, individuals currently in the U.S. on Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and “essential workers” illegally residing in the United States. 4 WAHA opposes the deportation of illegal immigrants, 5 conducts polling on amnesty and immigration-related issues, 6 and has encouraged noncitizens “to make calls if they are supporters” as a part of their text messaging initiatives. 7
WAHA is co-chaired by left-of-center Community Change Action, Care in Action, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Farm Workers, and United We Dream Action. 8 Former WAHA campaign director Nathaly Arriola Maurice is now a Special Assistant to the President and director of partnerships in the Biden Administration. 9
WAHA is associated with We Are Home, a separate project of the left-of-center New Venture Fund. 10
History and Leadership
WAHA began running ad campaigns and text message campaigns 11 in support of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies in 2021. 12
Former WAHA campaign director Nathaly Arriola Maurice is now a Special Assistant to the President and director of partnerships in the Biden administration. 13
Carolina Malagon is WAHA’s distributed texting director. She previously worked for U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA)’s 2020 campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). She has volunteered for the left-wing Working Families Party. 14
Activities and Funding
WAHA opposes the deportation of illegal immigrants 15 and supports the Biden administration’s immigration priorities with national advertisement campaigns and text message organizing. In a June 2021 virtual forum explaining WAHA’s text messaging outreach program, Carolina Malagon said WAHA is looking to include a pathway to citizenship for presently unlawful immigrants as a part of infrastructure legislation and said WAHA wants noncitizens to make calls on their behalf if they are supporters. 16
In May 2021, WAHA ran an ad calling for Congress to act on “immigration reform” 17 and in April WAHA ran an advertisement with left-progressive MoveOn to include amnesty for illegal immigrants as a part of congressional infrastructure legislation. 18
In March 2021, WAHA ran a $200,000 ad campaign against Representative John Katko (R-NY) for visiting the U.S.-Mexico border after voting against COVID-19 relief legislation. 19 Also in March 2021, WAHA ran a six-figure nationwide ad campaign in English and Spanish 20 with the left-of-center labor union Service Employees International Union (SEIU) calling for a pathway to citizenship for the “DREAMers,” individuals currently on TPS, and “essential workers” while showing images of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. 21
That same month, WAHA conducted polling on the popularity of amnesty for illegal immigrants over an eight-year period, amnesty for the “DREAMers,” amnesty for agriculture and “essential workers” in the United States illegally, and other immigration policies with left-of-center Data for Progress. 22
WAHA is co-chaired by left-of-center Community Change Action, Care in Action, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Farm Workers, and United We Dream Action. 23 Community Change Action hosts WAHA’s advertisements on its YouTube channel. 24
Funding
We Are Home Action is a project of the Sixteen Thirty Project, which is administered by the left-of-center Arabella Advisors advocacy network. 25 WAHA is associated with We Are Home, an immigrant activist group that is a project of Arabella’s left-of-center New Venture Fund. 26
References
- “Watch Now.” We Are Home. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/news/we-are-home-action-fwdus-and-seiu-launch-new-ad.
- “Had America’s Back | We Are Home.” Community Change Action YouTube. Posted March 7, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqdsJJ3Yly4.
- Comunidad | Estamos en Nuestro Hogar.” Community Change Action YouTube Channel. Posted march 7, 2021. Accessed July 6, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CthFUbeaNNA.
- “Had America’s Back | We Are Home.” Community Change Action YouTube. Posted March 7, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqdsJJ3Yly4.
- “Immigrants lift Up Their Voices and Their Power to Drive Momentum Ahead of Big Week on Immigration.” America’s Voice Press Release. May 17, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://americasvoice.org/press_releases/immigrants-lift-up-their-voices-and-their-power-to-drive-momentum-ahead-of-big-week-on-immigration/.
- “Jagadeesh, Prerna and Penumaka, Evangel. “Bipartisan Poll Shows Failure to Deliver Citizenship Will Result in Significant Enthusiasm Gap With Voters.” March 23, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2021/3/23/bipartisan-poll-shows-failure-to-deliver-citizenship-will-result-in-significant-enthusiasm-gap-with-voters.
- Malagon, Carolina. “We Are Home Action – Text Training!” Loom Video Host. June 4, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.loom.com/share/0bf178718f3542f39ff83e4e2f4489b1. Timestamp: 21.05.
- “New TV Ad: We Are Home Action Launches $200K Ad Buy. Calls for Accountability for Rep. Katko for Vote Against American Rescue Plan, Political Stunt on Immigration.” We Are Home Press Release. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/news/we-are-home-action-launches-200k-ad-buy-calls-for-accountability-for-rep-katko-for-vote-against-american-rescue-plan-political-stunt-on-immigration-watch-now.
- “New TV Ad: We Are Home Action Launches $200K Ad Buy. Calls for Accountability for Rep. Katko for Vote Against American Rescue Plan, Political Stunt on Immigration.” We Are Home Press Release. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/news/we-are-home-action-launches-200k-ad-buy-calls-for-accountability-for-rep-katko-for-vote-against-american-rescue-plan-political-stunt-on-immigration-watch-now.
- “Watch Now.” We Are Home. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/news/we-are-home-action-fwdus-and-seiu-launch-new-ad.
- Malagon, Carolina. “We Are Home Action – Text Training!” Loom Video Host. June 4, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.loom.com/share/0bf178718f3542f39ff83e4e2f4489b1. Timestamp: 21.05.
- “Had America’s Back | We Are Home.” Community Change Action YouTube. Posted March 7, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqdsJJ3Yly4.
- [1] “New TV Ad: We Are Home Action Launches $200K Ad Buy. Calls for Accountability for Rep. Katko for Vote Against American Rescue Plan, Political Stunt on Immigration.” We Are Home Press Release. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/news/we-are-home-action-launches-200k-ad-buy-calls-for-accountability-for-rep-katko-for-vote-against-american-rescue-plan-political-stunt-on-immigration-watch-now.
- “Carolina Malagon.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinaisabelmalagon/?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAACw_b1EBJ569rNxne3uvEIaJ07yFj7Po_-k.
- “Immigrants lift Up Their Voices and Their Power to Drive Momentum Ahead of Big Week on Immigration.” America’s Voice Press Release. May 17, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://americasvoice.org/press_releases/immigrants-lift-up-their-voices-and-their-power-to-drive-momentum-ahead-of-big-week-on-immigration/.
- Malagon, Carolina. “We Are Home Action – Text Training!” Loom Video Host. June 4, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.loom.com/share/0bf178718f3542f39ff83e4e2f4489b1.
- “Support | Congress must act to deliver a path to citizenship.” Community Change Action. May 26, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq6PCoI7Gts
- “Tweet.” MoveOn Twitter Page. April 20, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/MoveOn/status/1384521249896996865.
- Weiner, Mark. “Ad blitz rips John Katko for voting against Covid relief, taking trip to border.” Syracuse.com. March 19, 2021. Updated March 19, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.syracuse.com/politics/2021/03/ad-blitz-rips-john-katko-for-voting-against-covid-relief-taking-trip-to-border.html.
- “Comunidad | Estamos en Nuestro Hogar.” Community Change Action YouTube Channel. Posted march 7, 2021. Accessed July 6, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CthFUbeaNNA.
- “Had America’s Back | We Are Home.” Community Change Action YouTube. Posted March 7, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqdsJJ3Yly4.
- “Jagadeesh, Prerna and Penumaka, Evangel. “Bipartisan Poll Shows Failure to Deliver Citizenship Will Result in Significant Enthusiasm Gap With Voters.” March 23, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2021/3/23/bipartisan-poll-shows-failure-to-deliver-citizenship-will-result-in-significant-enthusiasm-gap-with-voters.
- “New TV Ad: We Are Home Action Launches $200K Ad Buy. Calls for Accountability for Rep. Katko for Vote Against American Rescue Plan, Political Stunt on Immigration.” We Are Home Press Release. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/news/we-are-home-action-launches-200k-ad-buy-calls-for-accountability-for-rep-katko-for-vote-against-american-rescue-plan-political-stunt-on-immigration-watch-now.
- [1] “Build a path to citizenship for immigrant essential workers so recovery includes everyone!” Community Change Action YouTube Channel. May 11, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eh1ewmXLYY.
- “Watch Now.” We Are Home. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/news/we-are-home-action-fwdus-and-seiu-launch-new-ad.
- “Coalition Steering Committee.” We Are Home About Page. Accessed July 6, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/about.