What’s Up WofA ~ Week of 06.28.2026
Note: These emails are sent weekly and include timely information and links, which may expire over time.
EVENTS
Tuesday, June 30th
War Powers Controversies in the Trump Era
A Policy Brief hosted by the National Affairs Committee (NAC) of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. NAC policy briefs provide facts and analysis to enable positive conversations about critical issues. Topics to be covered include: the Constitution’s balance of war powers; the War Powers Resolution — why it was enacted, what it does, how it has been implemented, and how executive branch lawyers have degraded its constraining power; the present moment (i.e., the Iran War and hostilities across Latin America) and the War Powers Resolution; and the war powers reform agenda. RSVP & Info HERE
Now – Summer
Camp WofA is Here!
Summer is ON and so are we! While our next Membership Meeting will not be until August 31st, we are absolutely NOT slowing down. Hit the bridges with us as we spread our visibility messages throughout the summer season. Write postcards for Talarico. Get crafty with craftivism. This summer is packed — keep up with everything on our newsletter and private Facebook page so you don’t miss a thing. Let’s GO, WOFA! If you have an idea, or want to get in some good trouble, throw it in the chats or our Facebook group! Chances are great that others will join you.
Saturday, July 4th – Washington, DC
Join We the People on July 4th in Washington DC!
We The People 250 is a coalition convening a March on Washington on July 4, 2026 to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. Bringing together movements and organizations from across the country, the march is a peaceful, people-powered stand against authoritarianism and political violence, and a demand that leaders in every party stop accommodating it. The coalition takes its name from the first three words of the Constitution: We the People. Info & RSVP HERE
Sunday, July 5th 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Rapid Response Choir Practice
The July 2026 RRC Arlington practices will be held at the Clarendon Presbyterian Church, 1305 N Jackson St, Arlington, VA 22201, from 1:30-2:30 pm on Sunday, July 5th and Sunday, July 19th. The parking lot is behind the church on N Irving Street.
July 8th 4:00pm Rural Urban Bridge Initiative (RUBI) – Virtual
Leaving MAGA and Connecting Across the Divide: A Conversation with Rich Logis
Join RUBI and Rich Logis, CEO & founder of Leaving MAGA, for a conversation about how we talk across the lines that divide Independents, Democrats, and MAGA. Info & RSVP HERE
Wednesday, July 8th 8:00pm – 9:15pm
Virtual Training: Turn ‘I Don’t Vote’ into the Start (Not the End) of a Conversation
More than one in three eligible voters skipped the 2024 elections—and here’s the surprising thing: many actually agree with Democratic priorities. If even a small fraction vote in this year’s midterms, they can move our country in a better direction.
In this interactive 75-minute workshop, Elizabeth Chur, author of The Joy of Talking Politics with Strangers, demonstrates how to use curiosity and empathy to successfully engage with people who rarely or never vote. Whether you’re a seasoned canvasser or phone banker or a brand-new volunteer, this workshop will give you strategies for transforming “I don’t vote” into “I’ll vote, and bring my whole family to the polls, too!”
Sign up on Mobilize here. A Zoom link will be sent to registrants
Friday, July 10th 12:00
Power Lunch
August 21 – 23 Tysons, VA
Women’s Summit – 10th Anniversary!
Join us for the Network NoVA’s annual Women’s Summit! For a decade, the Women’s Summit has been the place where grassroots activists from Virginia and across the county have Powered Up, Fought Back, and Showed Up — and we’ve got the victories to prove it! Now it’s time to celebrate our victories, lift each other up, and get fired up for the next fight — because we are going ALL IN to WIN the midterms! More information HERE
Monday, August 31st 6:45pm – 7:45pm
WofA Membership Meeting
Join WofA and Friends as we return refreshed and invigorated from our Summer hiatus! Find out the latest on WofA’s plans for the Upcoming Elections; Voter Protection; Immigration Actions and more! Clarendon Presbyterian Church, 1305 N Jackson St, Arlington, VA 22201
Late August thru October
Knock Doors in Ohio for Sherrod Brown & David Pepper!
This summer and fall, the Arlington Dems and progressive partner groups across the DMV will be leading weekend road trips to Columbus, Ohio to knock doors. Ohio is back to being a swing state this year, and we’re going to help re-elect Sherrod Brown and take back the Senate, as well as making Amy Acton as Governor, David Pepper LG, and flipping the nearby Ohio 15th District. These trips are designed to be joyful, social, and open to folks of all levels of experience. We’ll be carpooling there and back, staying with volunteer hosts, meeting for a group dinner, and meeting lots of voters who are sick of the madness. More Info & Sign Up HERE
IMMIGRATION
Support our Immigrant Communities Training
The New Virginia Majority (NVM) Solidarity Committee connects Virginia residents with citizenship or documentation privileges who want to support immigrant communities with meaningful action opportunities. First, you fill out this form so you can be safely vetted, then you will be given sign-up links to trainings
WofA’s Bystander Guide & Zine
WofA has produced an excellent video and zine that act as a bystander’s guide for our community allies here in northern Virginia. This video is NOT intended to be legal advice.
- Watch Neighbors Helping Neighbors: A Bystander’s Guide for Allies
- Print and Share the Accompanying Zine Here (print double-sided at 100%): Link HERE
- Please see our immigration page on our website for more information and resources HERE
Mutual Aid
An important part of caring for our immigrant neighbors is ensuring they have the resources necessary to survive. We have several mutual aid requests that have come through trusted partners.
- When Rosalee was deported to her home country, she left behind four children with their dad. Her 4 year old misses her mom so much she has stopped eating. Help fund plane tickets for two of their children and a chaperone to reunite with their mom by donating at https://gofund.me/71aa612bb.
Over 50 Virginians who were racially profiled and kidnapped last week by local police and ICE in Greene County and the many in Culmore, Annandale and other parts of NoVa brutalized and abducted by ICE in Northern Virginia this weekend. Please donate to the three funds below:
- Support for NoVa families impacted by ICE abductions including groceries, legal help, and detention center commissary and phone funds (for all detainees not just NoVA) https://lacolectiva.org/liberation
- Support for Central Virginia families impacted by ICE abductions including groceries, legal help, and detention center commissary and phone funds (for all detainees). https://www.farmvilledvn.org/donate.
- Grocery card fund for Greene County area families who have lost their loved ones. https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=QFX5QZSKBYAF8
References and Resources to Learn More
A. Secondary sources (including WaPo) on recent ICE detentions in the DMV area
B. Document on the long history of inhumane treatment in Farmville, VA’s ICE Detention Center.
C. Analysis of the most recent federal ICE arrest and detention data
D. Government data released by ICE in response to FOIA request and processed by the Deportation Data Project
CALLS TO ACTION
CALLS TO ACTION for GAP (Gas and Pipeline) Working GroupLocalities stopped $130 billion of data center projects that would have hiked up their electricity bills and ruined their water supply. There are two HUGE data center infrastructure projects that need local approval. Help us to stop them NOW!
CTA 1
Dominion Energy is proposing the largest gas plant it has ever built in Virginia. The Cumberland Energy Center would be nearly double the size of any existing Dominion gas plant in the state, sprawling across 900 acres on the James River in Cumberland County. This plant is designed to meet skyrocketing electricity demand driven largely by Big Tech data centers in Northern Virginia, while Cumberland residents would be left paying the costs: higher bills, industrial pollution, and decades of dependence on volatile gas prices. It is a multi-billion dollar project paid for by ratepayers like us.
Please sign this petition to Cumberland Board of Supervisors today and share this CTA.
CTA 2Please tell Prince William County Board of Supervisors that they must deny the infrastructure initiation because the rest of the state does not have the power and is not OK with taking on the energy burden associated with this proposal and therefore it is inconsistent with their larger policies on sustainability. The project would require 6-12 gas plants or 50,000 to 100,000 acres of solar—roughly one-fourth to one-half of the entire county which is not physically possible—as well as 2,500-5,000 backup generators. Furthermore, this project is inconsistent with the County’s watershed protection goals. The rest of the state cannot provide Northern Virginia with water resources if the Occoquan watershed, which supplies a large portion of the entire region’s drinking water, is not protected through thoughtful land use decisions. Prince William County must deny the initiation based on inconsistency with its own Comprehensive Plan policies, but what you can tell them is that the rest of the state isn’t going to bear the burden of their decision any longer so they must deny the initiation of this comprehensive plan amendment or bear the consequences locally.
Write the PWC Board of County Supervisors using information from above: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
ERA Update and Opportunity to DonateWhile the ERA has been duly ratified and President Biden concurred with constitutional lawyers that the ERA is the law of the land, the fight to have it published in the Constitution continues. Thanks to the tireless work of the ERA Coalition there are enough votes in Congress to pass a bill to remove the deadline that will solidify any possible objections to the publication of the ERA into the Constitution and force the Trump administration to fulfill their constitutional duties. When we flip the House and the Senate this November then Congress can pass the bill in January. It doesn’t need the president’s signature to take effect. The ERA Coalition helped us flip Virginia. It provides monthly meetings, national public awareness efforts, Elect Equality candidate vetting, and the many other services to promote and protect the ERA. The ERA Coalition is asking for help to continue their efforts. Without immediate financial support, the ERA Coalition will not be able to continue beyond the next few months.Take Action: Help sustain this movement at a moment when the ERA is closer than ever to full realization. Please encourage your members to help spread the word and to contribute now: ERA Coalition Forward (501(c)3) · ERA Coalition (501(c)4) · Wire/Invoice: [email protected]
July 4th Women’s Declaration of IndependenceAs communities commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, organizations are invited to read the Women’s Declaration of Independence immediately following the Declaration of Independence as a companion civic reading. In communities where a traditional Declaration reading is not planned, we encourage a standalone reading of the Women’s Declaration of Independence. In either form, the goal is the same: to continue the American tradition of public civic readings and reflection on our nation’s continuing journey toward liberty and equality. Go to UntilWomenAreEqual.org for more information.
Take Action – Participate Women’s Declaration of Independence on July 4 with your organization, family or on your own. Use this digital toolkit that includes the full Declaration, two-minute reading, timeline, songs, posters, educational materials, and promotional graphics. Help spread the word before, during and after July 4th using the hashtag: #UntilWomenAreEqual
The July 1 Deadline: Why Residents of MD, D.C., VA, WV, PA, and DE Should Submit Public Comments on the Washington County ICE Detention Warehouse
When most people hear about the proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention warehouse in Washington County, Maryland, they assume it is a local issue. That assumption is understandable. The facility would be located in a former warehouse in Williamsport, Maryland, and many of the most immediate impacts would be felt by Washington County residents. But the information Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released as part of its Environmental Assessment suggests this project is far larger and more complicated than a typical warehouse renovation. Earlier this month, DHS revealed that the facility is designed to accommodate up to 1,500 people and would require significant utility modifications, wastewater infrastructure improvements, floodplain review procedures, and the installation of a massive 750,000-gallon water storage tank. The agency also estimates the facility could generate approximately 187,000 gallons of wastewater per day. Those disclosures raise some obvious questions. Where will all of that water come from? Can the surrounding infrastructure handle a project of this scale? What happens when a facility designed to hold up to 1,500 people is inserted into a watershed that already supports local communities, businesses, farms, and ecosystems? Click Here for More Details and to Post a Public Comment
Oppose USPS Rule Change Threatening Mail Voting
On June 2, 2026, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) published a proposed rule to allow the federal government to control who can cast a mail-in or absentee ballot. The rule, a response to an executive order that Donald Trump signed in March, would require states to send USPS a list of every voter slated to receive a ballot by mail. USPS could then refuse to deliver ballots to any voters whose names are not on states’ pre-approved lists.
The rule threatens to disenfranchise the thousands of voters who rely on mailed ballots to participate in elections, including American citizens living abroad, people with disabilities, rural residents, and other communities that have long faced obstacles at the polls. Under this rule, a data or administrative error could block voters from receiving ballots through no fault of their own. Further, election administrators across the country say there is neither time nor funding to comply with the new rule before November 2026 midterms. Comments HERE
Contact Your Virginia House and Senate Delegation: Oppose the Removal of Campaign Finance Audits
Don’t allow the removal of the Department of Elections ability to perform audits on campaign finance reports. Tucked away on page 595 of the House Conference Proposed Budget Amendments is an attempt to further weaken Virginia’s already anemic campaign finance laws. One amendment seeks to remove the authority of the Department of Elections to conduct audits on campaign finance reports. Please write to your House and Senate members of the Virginia General Assembly and ask them to strike Item 4-14 #1h which appears on page 595 of the Amendments. They are set to meet on June 18 and 22 so please send your emails as soon as you can. Click Here to Take Action
Vote with your Wallet
As a corporation, Hilton has repeatedly welcomed ICE agents to stay in their hotels, over the needs of their community-based managers, franchise owners, and employees. As you plan your summer travel, consider alternatives to the Hilton brand of hotels or ways you can reach out and directly let them know how you feel as a customer. Learn more and take action here.
WofA ACTIONS
WofA’s Latest – From the People Podcast!
Intentional Progress with Julie Bolthouse – Listen HERE
WofA Community Chat
Request to Join a chat here:
Join WofA’s Visibility Brigade – Sun, Tues and Wed.
Join WofA’s Bridge Brigade! We’ll meet on an overpass near you, sharing timely and inspiring messages for the passing motorists below. Visibility Brigades is part of a nationwide movement to show everyday people that they are not alone in these unprecedented times. Please email Lisa to join the fun at [email protected]
Bridge Brigades are at the following times:
Sunday 3:00pm – 4:30 pm
Tuesday 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Wednesday 12:00pm -1:30pm
People Powered Choir – Rapid Response Choir NoVA Interest
We want to launch a longer-term people power choir depending on interest. No singing voice? No problem. Just come, have fun and remind our neighbors of what joy and kindness look like. Email Bob at: [email protected]
RESOURCES
WofA Gear for Good Trouble Now Available!We have added long-sleeve shirts and sweatshirts for all your canvassing needs! Your purchase helps support our organization!Find the latest in WofA Resistance Gear and Accessories HERE
Spreadsheet of Current and Future Local Actions & Resistance Events
State Navigate Virginia Election Data and More
Shop Local List HEREIndivisible.orgIndivisible’s website has specific messages for you to communicate with your Senators and Representatives offices, and includes scripts and a form that will automatically connect your phone with their offices.PFLAG Connects Monthly Meetings times and more
