Martinez isn't a U.S. citizen, even though she grew up in the country and long believed she was an All-American girl. After being detained while returning from Mexico to the United States on a trip, Martinez learned she was an illegal immigrant brought to America by her parents at a young age.

Her dreams of graduating college, getting married, and becoming a star journalist are now in a precarious spot. She's living year-to-year in temporary relief status and hoping that Congress passes the so-called DREAM Act as part of broader immigration reform.

"I'm just a sitting duck," Martinez said by phone. "Your life can completely change by this one thing. It is frightening to think this can all go away tomorrow."

A comprehensive immigration bill that answers President Bush's call for a guest-worker program appears to have enough bipartisan support to pass the Senate, but is almost certain to collide head-on with an enforcement-oriented House bill, several advocates on both sides of the issue predicted Tuesday.

A bill that passed the House in December includes no guest-worker program and makes illegal immigration a felony.

The Senate may well deadlock with the House because their positions differ so radically and the issue is too politically hot in this congressional election year for lawmakers on either side to compromise. That could doom all legislation to overhaul immigration this year.

Under legislation originally co-sponsored by Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, Martinez and others like her may get a break. The proposal passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this week as part of a broad immigration law reform package.

The provision, now headed for a full Senate debate, would allow immigrants who entered the U.S. while under the age of 16 and who have lived in the country for the last five years to adjust their status to "conditional legal permanent resident" if they attend school or serve in the military for two years and meet good-behavior standards.

It also would repeal a 1996 federal law and allow states discretion over whether they offer education benefits to people who entered the U.S. illegally.

"We don't want to condemn these kids to the underworld," Hatch said Tuesday. "They've done nothing wrong themselves. We want them to get an education."

Hatch introduced the original legislation, called the DREAM Act, in 2003 and it passed out of the Judiciary Committee but did not get a full Senate vote. Hatch is not a co-sponsor but still supports the re-introduced version.

Under the DREAM Act, Martinez likely would qualify to seek legal status.

The proposal has a two-stage process to gain legal status. Residents who grew up in the U.S., have graduated high school and can meet good-behavior conditions would qualify to become conditional lawful residents. After six years, if the immigrant joins the military or seeks a degree at a college for at least two years, he or she would be eligible for lawful permanent resident status.

The Senate plans to debate an enforcement-only bill before taking up discussion on the broader legislation that includes the DREAM Act, but Hatch says the act has a good chance of getting a vote this year.

Martinez can only hope. "I just want to live the American life," she says. "I want to do something that will affect everyone for the better."

tburr@sltrib.com

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Knight Ridder Newspapers contributed to this report.