I want to say a few words about what today means to me, as an immigrant. I knew when Trump was elected my life and that of many others who wanted to call this country home was going to become harder. The hateful rhetoric, awful policies, families torn apart, careers upended. 1/7

Every day over the last four years, even as I became a permanent resident, the fear of losing everything never relented. Feeling that so much of what I love and everything I’ve worked for could just be ripped away any moment. 2/

And also knowing I was still very much among the luckier ones, with a family, friends, and institutional support. So many others face much tougher situations with much less. 3/

The United States has been my home for nearly two decades now. I was never naive about its challenges and deep rooted problems, but I nonetheless believed it was a society that wanted to be better. Maybe that’s why 2016 broke my heart in such a personal, fundamental way. 4/

When Trump was elected, it felt like most of America decided it didn’t want to be better. That most of America decided it was fine to be cruel, to step on others as long as you got yours. And that immigrants like me weren’t wanted here. 5/

For every day over the last four years, I’ve been either afraid, disgusted, exhausted, or angry, and even my happiest moments were tinted by a sense of impending doom. 6/

Today, I am so grateful to finally be able to take a breath. To hear the Biden administration talk about immigrants like they’re people, like they belong. I know there is a lot of hard work ahead, but today, I don’t feel afraid anymore and that’s already enough. 7/7