Thread by @AskLeez

THREAD: A year ago today, a smiling Jeff Sessions walked onto stage and giddily announced the end of #DACA, taking away the ability for me and 800,000 others to keep living and working in the only country we consider home. He could hardly contain his excitement. It was wild. 1/

That announcement threw my life into total chaos. I’ve lived here for 22 YEARS, since I was 6 years old, & can’t imagine a life anywhere else.I’m a former Girl Scout & proud graduate of Rona ld Reagan High School w/ law school ambitions. Here’s me one year b4 I moved to Texas. 2/

Again: I came here as a six year old. I made my best friends here. I learned how to add & subtract numbers here. I learned to love country music here. Some of my DACA friends came here before they were old enough to read or walk; now they have kids of their own! 3/

Six years ago I was sitting at my graduation ceremony at @NorthwesternU when #DACA was announced. Talk about a lifeline! #WithDACA, I got a job, paid off $114,000 in student loans, traveled the country & did other mundane things that everyday people do, like grocery shop. 4/

So imagine this: It’s one yr ago 2day. I’m sitting at my desk drinking my coffee, having just returned from my BFF @allisonbrooke63’s wedding in KY when AG Sessions says that everything I know will likely come crashing down at any moment bc #DACA IS OVER.Surreal & devastating. 5/

My life flashes b4 my eyes. No #DACA means no job, no way to drive or pay rent or buy groceries, no govt-issued ID to travel on planes. How many times have you gone to restaurants or returned things at stores where they ask you for ID? Without DACA, none of that is possible. 6/

My future suddenly feels bleak. Every hope I have for myself & my life dissipates into thin air. You have to understand: I’ve had my entire life planned for… my entire life. Telling a Type A person that their dreams are out of reach no matter how hard they work is crushing. 7/

The next day @Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg welcomed me & @mariapraeli into his home. He told us: "I think it's important you know a lot of people stand with you, & we are going to fight to stand with you.” THANK YOU MARK for supporting us. bit.ly/2PFnicB 8/

Don’t get me wrong, though: DACA has its limits. I’ve missed out on a lot bc of my immigration status, incl my fave cousin’s wedding last weekend. She is the cousin closest in age to me, like a sister. I couldn’t go bc if I leave the U.S., I’ll face a 10-yr bar from reentry 9/

Never in my life did I think I would miss my favorite cousin’s wedding — it was a really sad experience. Feels like I am being slowly erased from my family’s history. I’m not in any photos from these special milestones bc I can’t leave the country w/o forfeiting my life. 10/

Good news: On Saturday, My mom FaceTimed me into my favorite cousin’s wedding!! I experienced the most important day of her life through a 3” x 5.5” iPhone screen. Here I am at the reception & with the beautiful couple. Congratulations! Very exciting. 11/

Family separation never gets easier. Nothing could have prepared me to miss the funeral of my sweet grandpa last year. He was my heart. It is among the greatest disappointments of my life. He will be the 1st person I visit - at the cemetery in Canada - when I get my papers. 12/

Look, I don’t doubt for a second that I belong here at home, in America. I love this country. But I also know I deserve to live without the crushing weight of uncertainty that temporary status brings. My DACA expires in February 2020. What happens then? 13/

One year ago today, everything looked hazy. My future is still unclear - but thanks to the good people at @FWDus & everyday Americans who wrote, called, rallied, protested & fought, DACA renewals are still in tact! Y’all are heroes! 14

We don’t know how long DACA renewals will be open. If you’re able, please donate to a Dreamer's renewal fund: gofundme.com/cause/protect-…. If you are a DACA recipient, you can start a campaign by visiting GoFundMe.com/DACA. More info on renewals: InformedImmigrant.com. 15

Above all, the fight for equality is still not over. If you’re a Dreamer and reading this, know that we will keep fighting until you get full equality, freedom of movement and the peace of mind that you - and I - desperately deserve. ✌🏽❤️🇺🇸 16/16