By Dana Ford and Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN

Atlanta (CNN) - Every day, millions of people like 16-year-old Celeste live their lives shouldering a huge emotional weight forged by fear, uncertainty and separation.

She was only 10 years old when the reality of her family's desperate situation hit her in the face.

Rolando Zenteno has lived more than half his 18 years in the United States, yet he still feels like an outsider.

Another undocumented immigrant - Prerna Lal - is fighting to stay in her adopted homeland and dreaming of becoming an immigration lawyer.

As Washington lawmakers try to hammer out an immigration reform plan while avoiding political gridlock, millions of people find themselves caught in the middle - suspended between two worlds - while not really belonging to either.

Some immigrants spoke to CNN, giving permission to use their full names. Others chose to withhold their last names, fearing it would affect their legal status. Here are their stories.