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

1. “Watch Now.” We Are Home. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/news/we-are-home-action-fwdus-and-seiu-launch-new-ad.
2. “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.
3. 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.
4. “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.
5. “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/.
6. “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.
7. 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.
8. “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.
9.  “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.
10. “Watch Now.” We Are Home. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/news/we-are-home-action-fwdus-and-seiu-launch-new-ad.
11. 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.
12. “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.
13. ^[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.
14. “Carolina Malagon.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinaisabelmalagon/?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAACw_b1EBJ569rNxne3uvEIaJ07yFj7Po_-k.
15. “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/.
16. Malagon, Carolina. “We Are Home Action – Text Training!” Loom Video Host. June 4, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.loom.com/share/0bf178718f3542f39ff83e4e2f4489b1.
17. “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
18. “Tweet.” MoveOn Twitter Page. April 20, 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://twitter.com/MoveOn/status/1384521249896996865.
19. 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.
20. “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.
21. “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.
22. “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.
23. “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.
24. ^[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.
25. “Watch Now.” We Are Home. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/news/we-are-home-action-fwdus-and-seiu-launch-new-ad.
26. “Coalition Steering Committee.” We Are Home About Page. Accessed July 6, 2021. https://www.wearehome.us/about.