As Zelaya waited for his work permit, he began crocheting to make ends meet. He was invited to Miami to talk about his crochet business on Univision. The hosts surprised him on camera with his work permit.

Off camera, some DREAMers find themselves juggling schedules filled with speeches, interviews and conferences at the state and national level.

Now, tracking down leaders like Andiola requires going through a press officer.

Many believed the DREAMers were fighting for a lost cause after the DREAM Act didn't get the needed votes, Andiola said. But they persisted. "We've been able to prove a lot of people wrong," she said.

Their next challenge is to lobby for immigration reform that would go beyond border security and help keep immigrant families from being separated, they say.

To their critics, who bristle that a group of undocumented immigrants have found an audience among politicians, activists and journalists, Andiola advises that they, too, organize.

"We really want to empower the community, not just the undocumented community," she said.