Life in the shadows: as one of 12 million illegal, immigrants in the United States, Veronica struggles to protect her family's middle-class life in Texas.

• Author: Alvarez, Lizette
• Position: NATIONAL

[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

LESSON PLAN 2

DEBATE

Ask students to take sides on one of the key questions in the current immigration debate: whether or not illegal immigrants in the U.S. should be allowed to pursue a path to Legal status and citizenship.

WRITING PROMPT

Have students assume the roles of either Veronica or Jose.

* Have them write a brief, anonymous letter to the editor of the local newspaper explaining why their Lives in Texas demonstrate that they should be allowed to Live in the U.S., without fear of deportation.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Why do you think immigration has stirred such passionate debate in Congress and the nation in recent years?

Veronica found that getting a driver's License wasn't hard for an illegal immigrant. Do you think that's good or bad?

America is often called "a nation of immigrants." What does this mean, and how should it influence the national debate about immigration policy today?

Some lawmakers have argued for making English the official Language of the U.S. Do you agree or disagree with this idea?

FAST FACT

There is no hard data on the number of illegal immigrants who enter the U.S. each year. But there is data on legal immigration: In 2006, 1.3 million people obtained legal permanent resident status.

* Since 1989, there have been seven years in which the number of legal immigrants exceeded 1 million.

WEB WATCH

www.dhs.gov/ximgtn/statistics

The Department of Homeland Security provides information on both legal and illegal immigration.

Veronica keeps her foot steady on the gas pedal. She turns onto a side street, where trouble is easier to avoid. A yellow traffic light flashes and she stops running it is not an option

Veronica, 31, does not take chances. Six years ago, she took the biggest chance of her life by coming to the United States illegally from Monterrey, Mexico, with her husband and three children. Now she has too much to lose.

Border Patrol agents routinely monitor the main roads near her house on the outskirts of San Antonio, so Veronica and her friends and relatives have informal alert networks.

"My husband just called to tell me he saw them right now on the street," she says before leaving the house. "We're careful." (To protect her identity, Veronica's last name is not being published.)

Veronica is proud of what she and her family have accomplished since coming to the U.S. They have a small stucco house with two used cars in the driveway. Her husband, Jose, has a job other immigrants covet: $15 an hour working for a boss who offers no benefits but gives generous gifts like a refrigerator and a...