My visit with Lelia Gomez and her family has changed some of my plans for the remaining articles. I had initially planned to use the interview to understand more of Lelia's background, to learn why she decided to work with migrants; I'd use the information to put together a piece on her and other immigrants who dedicate their time to helping less privileged migrants.

My visit changed some of that. I went to Lelia's house for dinner and an interview, and I gained a glimpse into the life of people from other countries who have (legally) made America their permanent home. Lelia's husband, Andres, and her two sons, Nicolas and Sebastian -- I apologize for the lack of accents, by the way, but they don't exist in this html editor -- were kind enough to welcome me and share their thoughts and experiences with me. One of her neighbors, Pablo, came over with most of his family, unexpected visitors who entered without knocking and were greeted warmly. They, too, talked with me and shared stories: Pablo's father told me about both Cuba before Castro and also life in his native country, Colombia.

I knew, before I had left that night, that I wanted to tell the story of these people. Legal permanent residents and naturalized citizens, they are immigrants who have not only assimilated into America but also retain and celebrate their heritage. Nicolas speaks Spanish fluently, but he also has over a 4.0 GPA at Sparta High School. Andres grew up in Colombia, and he served in the American Army. They live the American dream.

At the same time, I still want to do the original story I had planned -- the one about immigrants like Lelia who help other immigrants. There are two women I've met and talked with, Libia Eichler and Luz Quintero, who will now be the focus of the story, and I'll also include a little bit about Lelia for extra depth. I'm still planning to finish the series with the piece on immigrant children in American schools. I'm trying to get in touch with the girl who graduated Sparta HS in the top 10, but couldn't go to any colleges because she didn't have papers; I've also heard about another girl with a similar story from Costa Rica.

Which brings me to another point: the legal aspect of immigration. I've spent a lot of my time this past week researching immigration law (and its possible reforms); I've still got more to learn, but I'd like to share what I've found so far.

First, immigration enforcement changed significantly after 9/11 and the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Originally part of Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) within the Department of Justice, it is now part of the newly created Department of Homeland Security. Within the DHS, US Citizenship and Immigration Services oversees the administrative functions involving immigration; US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and US Customs and Border Protection enforce the laws and protect the borders.

According to the CRS Report for Congress "Immigration Reform: A Brief Synthesis of the Issues," foreign born people constitute 12.4% of the US population. One third of those are naturalized citizens, one third are legal permanent residents, and one third are undocumented. Although it is illegal for employers to knowingly hire or continue to employ undocumented immigrants, enforcement is weak, and the practice is rampant. In the past, the US government has focused on rounding up illegal workers, rather than fining or punishing the employers.

One of the largest issues with immigration is legalization, particularly with regard to letting unauthorized aliens become legal permanent residents. No program is currently in place for this, although there are several proposals -- and proposed requirements, such as documentation of physical presence in the US over a certain period, demonstrated employment for certain periods, demonstrated payment of income taxes, and/or leaving the US to obtain legal status.

Perhaps the best known proposal is the DREAM Act, which would focus on children that came to the US without papers. These children are often brought over when they are 5 or 6 years old; they grow up here and go to school here. Many succeed in school, but they have no opportunities because they are "illegal." Moreover, the schools themselves are often unaware of these students. I spoke with Stan Abromavage, the Director of Guidance for Sparta High School. He told me that the schools do not ask for proof of citizenship, green cards, visas, etc. If a child has proof that he/she is a resident of the area (in this case Sparta), the school by law has to enroll that child.

These are the children I intend to focus on for the final article. It's an issue that too few people are aware of, and I think that these stories need to be told.