VO - This is the border fence that separates Mexico and the United States. Day and night, hundreds of immigrants from Mexico, and Central America are trying to break through this fence and find work and a new life in the USA.
ASTON - Agua Prieta Mexico
TC 00 00 27 16
Man by Border Fence - Everyone tries to get into the USA to make money. We always get thrown out. For every hundred only 3 or 5 make it. They dont like us Mexicans.
VO - It is because of illegal immigrants crossing in towns like this one, of Agua Prieta, that the US Congress recently deployed the national guard and is considering building a vast wall to defend its border with Mexico. I have come see for myself the immigrants who are trying to make this often dangerous crossing.
ASTON Sagrada Familia Church
TC 00 00 59 08
David Sanchez - Lord help us find work. We beg you lord to protect all of us. That you are our guide oh lord.
Father Ivan Every day more are dying. More than 2000 people have died here. This is due to the tougher restrictions and increased vigilance.
David Sanchez - It much harder than before. I had to bury friends with whom I worked with. Because they trusted in other people Who left them alone in the desert.
Father Ivan - These men walk from the south, up to 2000km, in trucks, in trains, on foot. Once here at the border, their minds are set. They are going to cross.
VO ASTON Chilango, Juan
TC 00 02 01
ASTON Paisa
TC 00 02 08
At the Church refuge I met three men who were setting off to attempt the crossing into the USA. Two of these men were looking for any work they could find.The other had just been deported and was desperate to re-join his wife and children.Their route, they told me, would be the longest and hardest but the most certain to succeed.
Cananea MEXICO TC 00 02 27
VO ASTON - Some 50 km from the US border we stopped and waited in a safe house. These safe houses are where the Smuglers keep the immigrants locked up out of sight before the crossing. I found a group of 20 indigenous Mexicans, lost and confused, locked into a room at the mercy of the smugglers.
PAISA Mum give me your blessing as I am going to cross.
Juan One feels desperate, not knowing where one belongs. Having family here in Mexico and family in the United States.
Paisa Go or not go, life is a risk either way. Look its all decided ok?
JUAN - We are going tomorrow.
VO - Ahead of us was the first mountain range. I had been told to prepare for 3 days and nights.
Piece to Camera - We have been walking about 4 hours. Nobody else has really brought water apart from me. But you see how unprepared these people start this journey.
Paisa Aye bloody hell.
VO - In order to avoid any Mexican or US border police we had started our journey well inside Mexico. I was told it would be a day and night before the US border.
Piece to camera - Coming up to a river. Which we need to cross. I think we are going to get wet. Its pretty fast as well.
VO - Unable to cross with the recent rains, we took a different route and travelled through the night.
Piece to Camera - Well we have hit these train tracks which are supposedly near the border, so I think we about an hour away.
VO - A passing repair train let us jump on, saving valuable hours.
VO - As the weather closed in and the going got tough I asked the men if they believed life would be better on the other side.
Juan - The American dream. Many get left behind on the way.
Question Reporter Phil - What is the American dream for you?
Juan - To arrive and earn some dollars to send back to Mexico.
Chalango - To have a regular TV set, maybe a stereo, a little car!
Piece to camera - We are very close, this is the last 100 meters before we are into the territory of the USA.
PAISA - We are gonna jump over this barbed wire. Then American territory.
Piece to camera - It was quite easy. We just ran at some barbed wire, threw our bags over and jumped. And then we were in the United States. We have been walking about 3 hours now, in complete darkness. I am quite exhausted, my feet are soaking.
VOASTON Huachuca Mountains USA TC 00 06 11
We soon set off again. We had the whole of the US Huachucha Mountains before us. We moved fast and the pace began to tell. We kept to thickest parts of this wild forest.
Juan - Its a bear!
VO - These bears are dangerous and have been known to attack.
Piece to camera - Its the morning of the 3rd day and we are all absolutely exhausted. We still have a long way to go I think, probably another 2 days. As we go, you see all around on the ground, drugs and stimulants, packets, red bull, shoes and discarded clothes, they are the remnants of the immigrants, women, children and men who have been passing before us, desperately trying to keep themselves strong with stimulants simply to get across these mountains. This is the immigrant trail and its a tough one.
VO - Piece to camera - Behind me is the Arizona desert. We are going to walk it at night, as thats where many of the police, the border patrol and the Minutemen, the voluteer Americans to defend Americas borders wait.
VO - Within minutes a spotter drone from the border patrol flew overhead and began circling us.
VO Aston - Benson Arizona TC 00 08 01 Desperate to avoid the spotter planes we fled into cover. We ran across highways, terrified of being seen by passing cars. That evening barely able walk after 5 days, a prearranged car suddenly pulled up in the darkness. Without warning the men jumped in and I was left alone on the side of a highway. Despite North Americas attempts at protecting its borders, these Mexican immigrants crossed successfully.Weeks after arriving in the US, each of my travelling companions found work. One is in Phoenix as a gardener, another in Chicago as a garbage collector and another working as an office cleaner in Los Angeles.
ASTON - Agua Prieta Mexico
TC 00 00 27 16
Man by Border Fence - Everyone tries to get into the USA to make money. We always get thrown out. For every hundred only 3 or 5 make it. They dont like us Mexicans.
VO - It is because of illegal immigrants crossing in towns like this one, of Agua Prieta, that the US Congress recently deployed the national guard and is considering building a vast wall to defend its border with Mexico. I have come see for myself the immigrants who are trying to make this often dangerous crossing.
ASTON Sagrada Familia Church
TC 00 00 59 08
David Sanchez - Lord help us find work. We beg you lord to protect all of us. That you are our guide oh lord.
Father Ivan Every day more are dying. More than 2000 people have died here. This is due to the tougher restrictions and increased vigilance.
David Sanchez - It much harder than before. I had to bury friends with whom I worked with. Because they trusted in other people Who left them alone in the desert.
Father Ivan - These men walk from the south, up to 2000km, in trucks, in trains, on foot. Once here at the border, their minds are set. They are going to cross.
VO ASTON Chilango, Juan
TC 00 02 01
ASTON Paisa
TC 00 02 08
At the Church refuge I met three men who were setting off to attempt the crossing into the USA. Two of these men were looking for any work they could find.The other had just been deported and was desperate to re-join his wife and children.Their route, they told me, would be the longest and hardest but the most certain to succeed.
Cananea MEXICO TC 00 02 27
VO ASTON - Some 50 km from the US border we stopped and waited in a safe house. These safe houses are where the Smuglers keep the immigrants locked up out of sight before the crossing. I found a group of 20 indigenous Mexicans, lost and confused, locked into a room at the mercy of the smugglers.
PAISA Mum give me your blessing as I am going to cross.
Juan One feels desperate, not knowing where one belongs. Having family here in Mexico and family in the United States.
Paisa Go or not go, life is a risk either way. Look its all decided ok?
JUAN - We are going tomorrow.
VO - Ahead of us was the first mountain range. I had been told to prepare for 3 days and nights.
Piece to Camera - We have been walking about 4 hours. Nobody else has really brought water apart from me. But you see how unprepared these people start this journey.
Paisa Aye bloody hell.
VO - In order to avoid any Mexican or US border police we had started our journey well inside Mexico. I was told it would be a day and night before the US border.
Piece to camera - Coming up to a river. Which we need to cross. I think we are going to get wet. Its pretty fast as well.
VO - Unable to cross with the recent rains, we took a different route and travelled through the night.
Piece to Camera - Well we have hit these train tracks which are supposedly near the border, so I think we about an hour away.
VO - A passing repair train let us jump on, saving valuable hours.
VO - As the weather closed in and the going got tough I asked the men if they believed life would be better on the other side.
Juan - The American dream. Many get left behind on the way.
Question Reporter Phil - What is the American dream for you?
Juan - To arrive and earn some dollars to send back to Mexico.
Chalango - To have a regular TV set, maybe a stereo, a little car!
Piece to camera - We are very close, this is the last 100 meters before we are into the territory of the USA.
PAISA - We are gonna jump over this barbed wire. Then American territory.
Piece to camera - It was quite easy. We just ran at some barbed wire, threw our bags over and jumped. And then we were in the United States. We have been walking about 3 hours now, in complete darkness. I am quite exhausted, my feet are soaking.
VOASTON Huachuca Mountains USA TC 00 06 11
We soon set off again. We had the whole of the US Huachucha Mountains before us. We moved fast and the pace began to tell. We kept to thickest parts of this wild forest.
Juan - Its a bear!
VO - These bears are dangerous and have been known to attack.
Piece to camera - Its the morning of the 3rd day and we are all absolutely exhausted. We still have a long way to go I think, probably another 2 days. As we go, you see all around on the ground, drugs and stimulants, packets, red bull, shoes and discarded clothes, they are the remnants of the immigrants, women, children and men who have been passing before us, desperately trying to keep themselves strong with stimulants simply to get across these mountains. This is the immigrant trail and its a tough one.
VO - Piece to camera - Behind me is the Arizona desert. We are going to walk it at night, as thats where many of the police, the border patrol and the Minutemen, the voluteer Americans to defend Americas borders wait.
VO - Within minutes a spotter drone from the border patrol flew overhead and began circling us.
VO Aston - Benson Arizona TC 00 08 01 Desperate to avoid the spotter planes we fled into cover. We ran across highways, terrified of being seen by passing cars. That evening barely able walk after 5 days, a prearranged car suddenly pulled up in the darkness. Without warning the men jumped in and I was left alone on the side of a highway. Despite North Americas attempts at protecting its borders, these Mexican immigrants crossed successfully.Weeks after arriving in the US, each of my travelling companions found work. One is in Phoenix as a gardener, another in Chicago as a garbage collector and another working as an office cleaner in Los Angeles.