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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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I'm a little nervous...
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thinkin' about
my parents' story.
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It'll be the first time I would-- I'd
been on that section of Rio Grande
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where my parents crossed...
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in my life.
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First time ever.
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And I think it's gonna connect
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everything really,
really well for me.
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I've been uh, river-guiding
here on the Rio Grande
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for the past six-ish years.
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I want people to know
what's out here.
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I want the love to be shared.
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This is wilderness
as wild as it gets.
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But people
don't like hearing that.
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People like
hearing about a wall.
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Rather than talking
about putting up a fence,
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why don't
we work out some recognition
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of our mutual problems--
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Make it possible
for them to come here legally
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with a work permit,
and open the border both ways.
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We are nation of immigrants,
but we are also a nation of law.
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That's why our administration
has moved aggressively
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to secure our borders more.
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Ours' is a nation of immigrants,
we're also a nation of law.
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We have a responsibility
to secure our borders.
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President Bush,
he signed a bill today
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authorizing the construction
of a fence
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along the border with Mexico.
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This fence
would be 700 miles long.
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I think the
American people, they appreciate
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and believe in immigration. But they
can't have a situation where you just have
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half a million people
pouring over the border
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without any kind of
mechanism to control it.
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Complete the danged fence.
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It'll work this time.
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Look, I voted uh, numerous times
when I was a senator
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to spend money
to build a barrier
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to try to prevent
um, illegal immigrants
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from coming in.
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On day one,
we will begin working
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on an impenetrable,
physical, tall,
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powerful, beautiful
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southern-border wall.
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Build that wall!
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Build that wall!
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Build that wall!
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Build that wall!
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Build that wall!
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Build that wall!
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Build that wall!
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Build that wall!
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This whole idea
got started a few months ago.
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I was workin'
for some wildlife biologists
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out in West Texas.
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And they were describing
to me how a physical wall
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would have
some really serious impact
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to a lot of wildlife species
along the Rio Grande.
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And it was something that-- That
I never really thought about,
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the actual
physical entity of a wall.
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And I guess I just wanted
to-- to learn more about it.
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Um, uh--
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On a journey like
this, you're only as good
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as the team that you have.
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And this group is amazing.
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Like that and mess this up.
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So you-- with horses, you
don't have to replace pedals.
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Austin Alvarado
is a river guide.
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He knows the river in West Texas
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like the back of his hand.
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Heather is an ornithologist.
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She studies birds
and butterflies along the Rio,
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and her knowledge of
just the biodiversity at large
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is gonna be really important
for the trip.
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Uh, one second. Yeah.
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Filipe DeAndrade,
an incredible film maker.
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I expected like-- Yeah, like the
mariachi band and great entourage.
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Wooh, what a start! And it is just
like, "Alright, pull up next"
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"- to the drum trucks,
we're doing this thing." - Is he alright?
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Jay Kleberg, he works for Texas
Parks and Wildlife Foundation.
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Conservation is his thing.
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The wall is gonna be built
through a lot of places
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that are very near and dear
to his heart.
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She may be walking by
the time you get back.
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- Oh, that's not a cool thing.
- - Yeah.
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You sure I can't just strap her?
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I can put her in the Camel back.
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- No!
- No, I put a little helmet on her with a--
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A little basket
in the front of your bike.
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- Yeah, with goggles.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Like this thing
originated in Colorado
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and by the time it hits here,
it's tiny, minuscule,
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and then the United States
takes pretty much all of it.
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So we can't even float down
the uh, the river right now,
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that's why we're taking bikes
which I'm not that big a fan of,
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but you know, looking forward
to the horror stretch.
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- Alright, get in there, nice and tight.
- - Delighted.
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- Alright, I think that probably got it.
- Alright.
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- Nailed it.
- Yeah.
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What's the last time
you rode a bike, Filipe?
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- Me?
- Yeah.
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- This morning.
- This morning.
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I just hopped off.
Now I'm hoppin' back on again.
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Alright, let's go make
some bad decisions.
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- Hell, yeah!
- Let's go with it.
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Arrr!
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We are embarking
on a 1,200-mile journey
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from El Paso
to the Gulf of Mexico.
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Riding bicycles
where there isn't enough water.
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Takin' my mustangs
through the Big Bend.
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And canoeing down
the Rio Grande.
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Tryin' to understand
where exactly a wall would go
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and what effects it would have.
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Wait, wait, wait, time out.
Serious question.
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There is goin' to be doors
in this potential wall.
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Are there gonna be doors like
this to access the Rio Grande?
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Like you'll have to get a key
or something to acc-- No.
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No, and where there are access
points like this, we'll have agents.
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And they'll have
access to the gates.
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So you might not be
able to get access to the
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Rio Grande area
without Border Patrol.
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Okay.
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So after this, you're still
technically in the United States.
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Okay, okay.
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Wow!
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Wait, so we are about
to enter Mexico right now?
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No, we're just gonna ride
on the Mexico side of the wall,
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but on the US.
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No-man zone.
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It's wild being along the wall
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to have
this massive 25-foot barrier.
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It just feels so separate.
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While I was working in El Paso,
they constructed the wall,
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and they did it in
like 12 months.
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From my perspective,
it wasn't a real
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like uh, cry
against the construction
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of that fence at the time.
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But then since then I--
there have been people elected
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like congressman O'Rourke
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who was against
the construction of a-- a fence.
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I-- I don't
think a lot of people
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in the interior
of the US understand
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that the wall
will not literally be built
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at the border, at the
international boundary line.
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It'll be built well within here,
it's 100 yards.
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Other places it's-- it's a mile,
2 miles uh, into the interior
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and everywhere it's gonna look
as ugly as this or uglier.
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El Paso for the last 20 years
has been either the safest,
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the second-safest or the
third-safest city in America,
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which is really remarkable, because it
is at complete odds with the rhetoric
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about the border.
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Of the 2,000 miles
of the US-Mexico border,
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I believe
a little over 600 miles
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have fences, walls,
physical barriers.
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And that began after
the 2006 Secure Fencing Act,
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which Republicans and Democrats,
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inducing senators Obama
and Clinton at the time,
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voted for, which essentially
allowed the Bush administration,
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and then
succeeding administrations,
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to put up
these physical barriers
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and to effectively
waive all environmental
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and local
stakeholders' safeguards.
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I think people
who aren't from the border,
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this might make
a lot of sense to them like--
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So we hear there are problems
with Mexico or immigration
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or drugs, yeah, a--
a big giant fence
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with steel and concrete that--
that makes a lot of sense.
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When you live here, you,
you obviously--
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You see it differently
and you feel it--
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You feel it differently.
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I think being a politician
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and working um,
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00:11:02,163 --> 00:11:05,875
across the aisle,
in most cases for candidates,
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00:11:06,834 --> 00:11:08,127
is not rewarded at all.
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00:11:09,170 --> 00:11:12,882
They are
rewarded for extreme stances.
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00:11:13,090 --> 00:11:14,717
I'm Will Hurd.
I'm the representative
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00:11:14,925 --> 00:11:17,970
from the 23rd
Congressional District of Texas,
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which goes from
the fringes of El Paso
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all the way to San Antonio.
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I have 820 miles of the border.
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And I spent
nine and a half years
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as an undercover officer
in the CIA.
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00:11:29,357 --> 00:11:30,957
I sit on the
Homeland Security Committee.
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00:11:31,901 --> 00:11:34,195
I've chased bad guys
all over the world,
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00:11:34,403 --> 00:11:38,240
I've chased terrorists, I've chased
nuclear weapons, proliferators.
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00:11:38,449 --> 00:11:41,035
I've tr-- I've chased
the narcotraficantes.
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And you learn that your
adversary has resources.
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They have um, the commitment
to do something
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and they're-- they're--
they're-- they're smart.
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00:11:51,420 --> 00:11:55,299
That's why
any conversation um, on uh--
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00:11:55,508 --> 00:12:01,180
On immigration or security has to begin
with operational control of our border.
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00:12:01,389 --> 00:12:03,849
I went to John Marshall High
School, but in
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00:12:04,058 --> 00:12:05,869
- Okay, um-- - I'm talking
about when-- when we were in--
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00:12:05,893 --> 00:12:08,062
When were in hi-- yeah.
I took my ring off,
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00:12:08,270 --> 00:12:10,374
- because obviously I was just supposed to.
- No, dude you got to--
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00:12:10,398 --> 00:12:12,733
- what are you doing?
- No, but like I didn't know--
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00:12:12,942 --> 00:12:14,443
Nobody else is wearing jewelry.
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00:12:16,487 --> 00:12:18,781
We can get operational
control of our border.
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00:12:18,989 --> 00:12:22,743
We can enforce our laws
to give deterrence
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00:12:22,952 --> 00:12:24,787
and a consequence
to that negative behavior.
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00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,294
We just got to the end of
the wall for the first time.
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00:12:35,464 --> 00:12:37,967
We need our-- our men and women
in the Border Patrol
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00:12:38,175 --> 00:12:40,344
to know exactly
what the threat is,
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00:12:40,553 --> 00:12:45,391
so they're not showing up with no
information about what's going on.
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00:12:45,599 --> 00:12:49,979
And-- and so that's why getting
the right tools is important.
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00:12:50,187 --> 00:12:52,815
And-- and I think--
I think folks need to realize
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00:12:53,023 --> 00:12:55,943
that you know, um,
that we wanna secure the border,
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00:12:56,152 --> 00:12:58,404
we should have
secured our border by now.
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00:12:58,612 --> 00:13:00,698
- Let's roll.
You all-- you all start going.
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00:13:00,906 --> 00:13:02,175
Okay, we're gonna--
we're gonna head back.
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00:13:02,199 --> 00:13:04,034
There is wa--
there's like--
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00:13:04,243 --> 00:13:06,524
- There is a canal right there.
- We just cross the canal?
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00:13:07,538 --> 00:13:10,338
- I'll take my shirt off and move across.
- - I mean we could, but uh--
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00:13:10,416 --> 00:13:12,776
- Yeah.
For sure, - It's supposed to be an adventure, right?
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00:13:13,377 --> 00:13:16,172
We could jump through here,
we could just sail right off.
217
00:13:19,550 --> 00:13:20,843
This shit is deep.
218
00:13:22,553 --> 00:13:24,680
You know, I can't get my bike--
219
00:13:24,889 --> 00:13:28,434
Oh yeah! Oh, that's nice.
220
00:13:28,642 --> 00:13:30,895
Ooh! Ooh!
221
00:13:32,271 --> 00:13:33,773
Y'all didn't
tell me it was cold.
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00:13:33,981 --> 00:13:35,399
Yee-haw, I know!
223
00:13:35,608 --> 00:13:36,608
Gettin' the congressman
224
00:13:36,650 --> 00:13:38,736
in a bit of pickle here.
225
00:13:38,944 --> 00:13:40,029
Here we go.
226
00:13:41,572 --> 00:13:43,592
- Got it.
- You want the camera or you want the hand?
227
00:13:43,616 --> 00:13:44,950
- I'll take your hand.
- Yeah.
228
00:13:45,159 --> 00:13:46,368
What?
229
00:13:46,577 --> 00:13:48,120
- Yeah.
- Getting through.
230
00:13:48,329 --> 00:13:50,414
Oh yeah.
231
00:13:50,623 --> 00:13:51,743
Your government salutes you.
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00:13:51,916 --> 00:13:53,459
I'm sure.
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00:13:53,667 --> 00:13:55,107
I get to my next
appointment on time.
234
00:14:09,433 --> 00:14:10,476
Wooh-hoo-hoo-hoo!
235
00:14:15,439 --> 00:14:17,483
Cheers, boys.
236
00:14:17,691 --> 00:14:21,195
Hey, well, to only having
five bike malfunctions.
237
00:14:21,403 --> 00:14:22,488
Yeah.
238
00:14:35,918 --> 00:14:37,211
Pretty good oatmeal.
239
00:14:39,547 --> 00:14:41,340
Glad I get to eat this.
240
00:14:41,549 --> 00:14:42,967
Is Heather up?
241
00:14:43,175 --> 00:14:44,176
Yeah, I'm up.
242
00:14:44,385 --> 00:14:45,803
Okay.
243
00:14:46,011 --> 00:14:47,291
Why?
Then we need your expertise.
244
00:14:47,388 --> 00:14:49,223
There's all these birds
flyin' around.
245
00:14:52,226 --> 00:14:54,353
Such a amazing
way to start the day.
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00:14:54,562 --> 00:14:57,857
Just you out there,
listening to the birdsong,
247
00:14:58,607 --> 00:14:59,984
takin' everything in.
248
00:15:00,192 --> 00:15:02,278
And it's like
such a great time to see
249
00:15:02,486 --> 00:15:05,030
all kinds of wildlife.
250
00:15:05,239 --> 00:15:08,909
I grew up in Upstate, New York.
251
00:15:09,118 --> 00:15:13,038
Went to college at Cornell
where I studied ecology.
252
00:15:14,290 --> 00:15:17,543
I worked for about five years
as a field biologist.
253
00:15:17,751 --> 00:15:21,255
Then I pursued
my masters in The Big Bend
254
00:15:21,463 --> 00:15:23,257
and fell in love
with the border.
255
00:15:26,510 --> 00:15:30,097
On this trip,
I'm going to be doing
256
00:15:30,306 --> 00:15:35,352
as many bird surveys
along the route as I can fit in.
257
00:15:35,561 --> 00:15:38,898
My intention
is to survey these areas
258
00:15:39,106 --> 00:15:43,569
that nobody has
really surveyed birds before
259
00:15:43,777 --> 00:15:47,239
to see what the biodiversity is
260
00:15:47,448 --> 00:15:50,451
before a potential
border wall is built.
261
00:15:53,996 --> 00:15:56,248
When you think
a high bird diversity
262
00:15:56,457 --> 00:16:00,920
or just high biodiversity,
you don't think of a desert.
263
00:16:01,128 --> 00:16:06,842
But it's some of the highest vegetation
diversity, and therefore bird diversity,
264
00:16:07,051 --> 00:16:09,553
because you have
all these different elevations
265
00:16:09,762 --> 00:16:13,057
and you have the
Rio Grande going through
266
00:16:13,265 --> 00:16:16,644
that creates
a completely different habitat.
267
00:16:18,437 --> 00:16:21,565
If you're just cruisin' on by,
you're gonna think
268
00:16:21,774 --> 00:16:23,943
there's not anything here.
269
00:16:24,151 --> 00:16:27,363
But if you just stop,
and like look around,
270
00:16:27,571 --> 00:16:30,491
and listen for a little bit,
you realize this place is alive.
271
00:17:02,272 --> 00:17:04,483
The Rio Grande
is the fourth longest river
272
00:17:04,692 --> 00:17:06,443
in North America.
273
00:17:06,652 --> 00:17:09,488
It starts in Colorado,
flows through New Mexico,
274
00:17:09,697 --> 00:17:13,993
and becomes the US-Mexico border
for over 1,200 miles in Texas.
275
00:17:15,786 --> 00:17:18,330
There are so many
dams and diversions
276
00:17:18,539 --> 00:17:22,209
that the Rio Grande
runs dry below El Paso.
277
00:17:22,418 --> 00:17:25,504
And for nearly 300 miles,
there is little to no water.
278
00:17:26,630 --> 00:17:28,257
The Forgotten Reach.
279
00:17:37,182 --> 00:17:38,702
- Well.
- - Let me help you out with that.
280
00:17:38,726 --> 00:17:39,726
We're fucked.
281
00:17:39,852 --> 00:17:41,061
It's home.
282
00:17:46,316 --> 00:17:47,609
We'd start riding our bikes,
283
00:17:50,237 --> 00:17:52,364
and the ride's
goin' pretty well,
284
00:17:52,573 --> 00:17:56,201
and then out of nowhere snow
just starts dumpin' on us.
285
00:18:06,795 --> 00:18:10,466
I'm doing a--
Bring the toes back alive again.
286
00:18:12,301 --> 00:18:15,054
Wow, these
are some big flakes.
287
00:18:18,348 --> 00:18:19,641
The temperature is dropping.
288
00:18:29,193 --> 00:18:32,738
The roads are
very quickly degrading.
289
00:18:32,946 --> 00:18:34,448
You can ride for a little while
290
00:18:34,656 --> 00:18:39,244
and then the--
the wheels just accumulate mud.
291
00:18:39,453 --> 00:18:42,372
It's still like
spring conditions everywhere.
292
00:18:45,542 --> 00:18:48,754
I've never
been scared away from--
293
00:18:48,962 --> 00:18:51,799
from getting you know, down to
business and getting it done.
294
00:18:56,845 --> 00:18:58,305
But dang,
that was some serious mud.
295
00:18:58,514 --> 00:19:00,182
That was class five mud
right there.
296
00:19:22,246 --> 00:19:26,416
At some point,
you're not riding the bike,
297
00:19:26,625 --> 00:19:28,794
the bike is riding you.
298
00:19:29,002 --> 00:19:32,798
And uh, you're starting
to question the process.
299
00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:39,221
This thing is freaking heavy.
300
00:19:50,607 --> 00:19:55,154
We wake up the next morning,
decide just to dump the bikes.
301
00:19:55,362 --> 00:19:59,324
We left our support crew
and we continued on by foot.
302
00:20:25,934 --> 00:20:27,269
Literally, on my knees.
303
00:20:34,234 --> 00:20:35,736
What about
in going to the valley
304
00:20:35,944 --> 00:20:38,906
or like goin' even farther up
and goin' up and over this?
305
00:20:39,990 --> 00:20:40,990
Is that an option?
306
00:20:42,534 --> 00:20:45,495
I think our reference
point is.
307
00:20:46,705 --> 00:20:48,457
We'll just have
to go around and come back.
308
00:20:55,339 --> 00:20:56,882
Sorry, keep running.
309
00:20:57,090 --> 00:21:00,344
- Keep going.
- That's it, yeah.
310
00:21:00,552 --> 00:21:03,392
For the first time in this trip,
I mean we're only a week into the trip,
311
00:21:03,597 --> 00:21:05,307
but today is the first day
312
00:21:05,515 --> 00:21:08,310
that we got
a real first hand perspective
313
00:21:08,518 --> 00:21:10,562
of what somebody would
have to go through
314
00:21:10,771 --> 00:21:12,356
if they were to cross illegally.
315
00:21:12,564 --> 00:21:14,083
They wouldn't
be doing it on horseback,
316
00:21:14,107 --> 00:21:15,547
they wouldn't be
doing it on a canoe,
317
00:21:15,609 --> 00:21:17,194
they wouldn't
be doing it on bike.
318
00:21:17,402 --> 00:21:19,002
- They'd be walking--
- For three months.
319
00:21:23,408 --> 00:21:26,286
We came over
to the US from Brazil
320
00:21:26,495 --> 00:21:27,955
when I was about six years old.
321
00:21:29,748 --> 00:21:31,458
I was born in the countryside.
322
00:21:32,584 --> 00:21:34,211
I remember traveling
in the Amazon
323
00:21:34,419 --> 00:21:36,964
and you know,
life being carefree in a way.
324
00:21:39,633 --> 00:21:43,262
And then
we were displaced from a flood.
325
00:21:47,057 --> 00:21:49,518
Growing up in Rio de Janeiro,
326
00:21:49,726 --> 00:21:53,522
we were living in the most
notorious ghetto in the world
327
00:21:54,439 --> 00:21:59,444
very much at the forefront of
drugs, and the cartel and violence.
328
00:22:00,654 --> 00:22:02,698
Anything was better in her eyes.
329
00:22:08,578 --> 00:22:11,373
We flew over here because
my mom had a worker visa.
330
00:22:12,666 --> 00:22:14,710
And we came over,
me and mom, my sister.
331
00:22:17,963 --> 00:22:20,590
I think it was
my mom's intention
332
00:22:20,799 --> 00:22:24,511
to come over here
and create a new life
333
00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,472
for me and my sister,
without my dad,
334
00:22:27,681 --> 00:22:30,684
because he was just
a nightmare of a human being.
335
00:22:30,892 --> 00:22:33,812
He was really abusive and--
and addicted to drugs,
336
00:22:34,021 --> 00:22:37,316
and you know,
not the kind of person
337
00:22:37,524 --> 00:22:39,943
that she wanted
to raise her kids.
338
00:22:42,362 --> 00:22:44,614
What I don't think
she expected was that
339
00:22:44,823 --> 00:22:48,869
he was going to get rid of
all of our legal documents.
340
00:22:51,371 --> 00:22:54,291
She was faced with
a very difficult decision.
341
00:22:54,499 --> 00:22:58,378
Go back to Brazil,
and then try and come back um,
342
00:22:58,587 --> 00:23:00,505
another way through immigration
343
00:23:00,714 --> 00:23:02,382
or just stay here
and figure it out.
344
00:23:04,384 --> 00:23:08,388
Ultimately that meant for about
14 years, we stayed illegally.
345
00:23:24,905 --> 00:23:29,743
There are four avenues or categories
through which one can immigrate legally
346
00:23:29,951 --> 00:23:33,914
in to the United States.
The first and the most common is one based
347
00:23:34,122 --> 00:23:37,542
on family reunification
where preference is given
348
00:23:37,751 --> 00:23:41,380
to the immediate family members.
349
00:23:41,588 --> 00:23:45,050
The second route is through
employer-based immigration.
350
00:23:47,094 --> 00:23:50,639
The third is through
the refugee or asylum process.
351
00:23:52,849 --> 00:23:56,853
And the last category is through
the diversity visa lottery.
352
00:23:58,855 --> 00:24:01,066
If you look
at the past 10 or 15 years,
353
00:24:01,274 --> 00:24:04,069
you see a leveling out
for about 1 million per year.
354
00:24:04,277 --> 00:24:05,612
There is a cap to that.
355
00:24:08,949 --> 00:24:11,451
Folks don't choose
to be undocumented.
356
00:24:13,787 --> 00:24:15,831
When somebody says:
"get in line",
357
00:24:16,039 --> 00:24:18,166
many times there aren't lines.
358
00:24:20,877 --> 00:24:24,589
The flow of migration to the US
359
00:24:24,798 --> 00:24:26,842
is really a function
of our economy.
360
00:24:27,050 --> 00:24:30,679
The function of economies uh,
in the Americas and it's hemisphere,
361
00:24:30,887 --> 00:24:34,975
a function of um, the kind
of violence and brutality,
362
00:24:35,183 --> 00:24:38,979
civil wars and death
that you find in Central America
363
00:24:39,187 --> 00:24:41,815
that-- that you have
found off and on in-- in Mexico.
364
00:24:42,023 --> 00:24:44,025
There's also a
misconception about Mexico.
365
00:24:45,152 --> 00:24:48,780
We are at net zero um,
immigration with Mexico,
366
00:24:48,989 --> 00:24:51,825
which means it's not
a plus or minus, right.
367
00:24:52,033 --> 00:24:54,369
Uh, most people will think that
368
00:24:54,578 --> 00:24:57,747
you know, most of the illegal
immigration is coming from Mexico.
369
00:24:57,956 --> 00:25:00,792
It's not. It's coming
from Central America.
370
00:25:01,001 --> 00:25:03,044
Mexico is actually
a partner of ours
371
00:25:03,253 --> 00:25:05,130
in trying
to stop illegal immigration,
372
00:25:05,338 --> 00:25:07,716
because they are dealing
with some of the similar issues
373
00:25:07,924 --> 00:25:09,217
on their southern border.
374
00:25:16,725 --> 00:25:19,936
- Wow! Wow, look at this!
- It's right there, man.
375
00:25:20,145 --> 00:25:21,855
- Wow!
- It made me go so fast.
376
00:25:22,063 --> 00:25:24,983
- I'm so glad it's pavement.
- - No mud.
377
00:25:25,192 --> 00:25:28,153
I'm just gonna do this,
'cause my knees can't bend.
378
00:25:42,834 --> 00:25:46,922
When that trailer pulled in, my
heart just like filled with joy.
379
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:50,800
It symbolized
the end of the bicycle,
380
00:25:51,009 --> 00:25:53,470
which is like the greatest
381
00:25:53,678 --> 00:25:55,597
thing that's
happened thus far on the trip.
382
00:26:00,936 --> 00:26:03,188
Here's your horse.
383
00:26:03,396 --> 00:26:06,191
- Alright, let's do it.
- - Your horse's name is "Donkey Dust".
384
00:26:08,860 --> 00:26:10,779
I think I'm ready
for a new life together.
385
00:26:11,988 --> 00:26:13,114
Alright, we'll see you.
386
00:26:15,992 --> 00:26:18,537
Now, I've been
fortunate to work on ranches
387
00:26:18,745 --> 00:26:22,958
and to do a lot of packed trips
all over the American West.
388
00:26:24,668 --> 00:26:26,920
And then this is Dinosaur.
389
00:26:27,128 --> 00:26:30,757
My mustangs are so good,
they know how to ride.
390
00:26:30,966 --> 00:26:32,801
- He's a beautiful mustang.
- Yeah.
391
00:26:35,136 --> 00:26:36,972
I knew they would
take good care of everybody,
392
00:26:38,014 --> 00:26:41,142
which is very important,
because Filipe...
393
00:26:42,310 --> 00:26:44,563
no idea how to ride a horse.
394
00:26:44,771 --> 00:26:45,851
You think she'll let me on?
395
00:26:46,690 --> 00:26:48,692
You have riding boots.
396
00:26:52,112 --> 00:26:54,197
- What do you need, huh?
- How do you get on?
397
00:26:54,406 --> 00:26:55,406
Just hop on!
398
00:26:59,619 --> 00:27:00,829
You know you got it.
399
00:27:07,794 --> 00:27:09,337
Yeah, buddy!
400
00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:12,090
Alright, let's go.
401
00:27:12,299 --> 00:27:13,508
Let's go.
402
00:27:13,717 --> 00:27:15,027
- Help me, help me get off.
- Okay, come on.
403
00:27:15,051 --> 00:27:16,636
Alright, hold on.
404
00:27:16,845 --> 00:27:19,264
Alright.
Now, I'm gonna ride Ben around.
405
00:27:19,472 --> 00:27:21,266
Come on, Ben!
406
00:27:21,474 --> 00:27:24,894
I've been on a horse
a handful of times
407
00:27:25,103 --> 00:27:29,357
like the touristy situation or
like a birthday party or something.
408
00:27:30,692 --> 00:27:32,611
I'm not particularly concerned.
409
00:27:32,819 --> 00:27:34,904
I trust Ben's judgment.
410
00:27:35,113 --> 00:27:37,157
You know,
which maybe I shouldn't.
411
00:27:38,408 --> 00:27:39,701
Let's ride!
412
00:27:45,790 --> 00:27:49,044
The part that I was most excited
about was the Big Bend.
413
00:27:51,212 --> 00:27:54,633
Big Bend Ranch State Park
is 300,000 acres.
414
00:27:54,841 --> 00:27:57,385
Big Bend Ranch National Park
is 800,000 acres.
415
00:28:01,222 --> 00:28:05,060
Combined, it's this massive
relatively untouched habitat.
416
00:28:09,272 --> 00:28:10,732
An ancestor of mine,
417
00:28:10,940 --> 00:28:13,151
who was
Parks and Wildlife Commissioner
418
00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:16,237
back in the '30s and '40s,
visited this country
419
00:28:16,446 --> 00:28:20,075
when they were looking at
designating Big Bend National Park.
420
00:28:21,701 --> 00:28:23,995
And he was
a relatively famous rancher.
421
00:28:24,204 --> 00:28:25,997
So that's in his blood
like he sees the land
422
00:28:26,206 --> 00:28:29,084
and he sees how am I gonna
produce off of that land.
423
00:28:29,292 --> 00:28:31,002
And his comment
424
00:28:31,211 --> 00:28:33,838
that the highest
and best use for that land
425
00:28:34,047 --> 00:28:36,257
is for public recreation.
426
00:28:38,802 --> 00:28:41,721
We're sitting on
the results of that legacy.
427
00:28:43,807 --> 00:28:46,267
It's important for me
to complete that circle,
428
00:28:47,477 --> 00:28:51,272
and try and protect
an area that he saw promising.
429
00:28:52,315 --> 00:28:55,276
That's threatened
right now by the law.
430
00:28:56,861 --> 00:29:01,700
And so if I can do something
to sort of protect that legacy,
431
00:29:01,908 --> 00:29:05,203
then I feel like that's
an important part of--
432
00:29:05,412 --> 00:29:06,705
of my life right now.
433
00:29:21,761 --> 00:29:22,971
Pay attention, boys.
434
00:29:26,516 --> 00:29:28,017
Rocks!
435
00:29:28,226 --> 00:29:30,103
Easy, Tough, easy, easy.
436
00:29:30,311 --> 00:29:32,063
Alright, go ahead now.
437
00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,483
Yeah,
this is definitely a walker.
438
00:29:36,484 --> 00:29:38,153
- Yeah.
- Carrying a lot, yeah.
439
00:29:38,361 --> 00:29:41,322
30 minutes in adventure mode,
engaged.
440
00:29:42,782 --> 00:29:44,284
This area is
441
00:29:44,492 --> 00:29:47,078
some of the gnarliest,
rockiest, nastiest
442
00:29:47,287 --> 00:29:48,496
terrain I've ever been in.
443
00:29:52,333 --> 00:29:56,045
Every single piece of vegetation
out here has thorns
444
00:29:56,254 --> 00:29:58,047
and stickers and cactus.
445
00:30:05,889 --> 00:30:07,974
Alright.
446
00:30:08,183 --> 00:30:09,434
Good, good.
447
00:30:09,642 --> 00:30:11,102
Dude, these mustangs
448
00:30:11,311 --> 00:30:13,188
are made for the back country.
449
00:30:14,230 --> 00:30:19,110
Fortunately, all my mustangs,
they were all born in the wild
450
00:30:19,319 --> 00:30:21,821
on public lands
in the American West.
451
00:30:24,407 --> 00:30:28,411
They grew up in desolate
harsh landscapes like this.
452
00:30:29,579 --> 00:30:32,081
They know how to walk
through this country,
453
00:30:32,290 --> 00:30:33,970
they know how to meander
through the rocks,
454
00:30:34,167 --> 00:30:37,170
and stay away from the cactus,
and how to navigate
455
00:30:37,378 --> 00:30:39,214
through cliffs
and difficult terrain.
456
00:30:40,381 --> 00:30:41,841
It makes me proud to--
457
00:30:42,926 --> 00:30:45,261
to see my ponies take care
of everybody so well
458
00:30:45,470 --> 00:30:47,472
and take care
of themselves so well.
459
00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:49,390
They are great--
they're great horses.
460
00:30:51,851 --> 00:30:53,436
Yeah, I like
461
00:30:53,645 --> 00:30:56,147
Five years ago,
some friends and I went out
462
00:30:56,356 --> 00:30:57,440
and adopted these mustangs,
463
00:30:59,108 --> 00:31:03,154
trained them and rode 3,000
miles from Mexico to Canada
464
00:31:03,363 --> 00:31:05,240
through public lands
in the American West.
465
00:31:09,035 --> 00:31:12,372
That experience
completely changed my life
466
00:31:12,580 --> 00:31:16,167
and gave me a huge appreciation
not only for these horses,
467
00:31:16,376 --> 00:31:17,585
but for public lands.
468
00:31:20,255 --> 00:31:23,842
Less than 3% of Texas
is open to the public.
469
00:31:24,050 --> 00:31:25,050
That's it.
470
00:31:25,969 --> 00:31:29,138
And there is no way
that you could put a border wall
471
00:31:29,347 --> 00:31:32,058
even close to the river
in a lot of this country.
472
00:31:35,061 --> 00:31:37,021
It'd have to be built inland,
473
00:31:37,230 --> 00:31:41,526
bulldozed, and slicing apart the
only big chunk of public land
474
00:31:41,734 --> 00:31:43,278
that we have left in Texas,
475
00:31:44,237 --> 00:31:47,574
essentially blocking us
from the Rio Grande.
476
00:31:55,331 --> 00:31:57,292
You can feel
the crisp air right by the Rio.
477
00:31:59,294 --> 00:32:00,920
Look at all that water.
478
00:32:01,129 --> 00:32:02,849
It's the first time
we've been in the river.
479
00:32:08,344 --> 00:32:11,472
This is kind of
emotional right now.
480
00:32:13,683 --> 00:32:15,143
I'm giddy.
481
00:32:15,351 --> 00:32:16,352
Oh yeah.
482
00:32:20,982 --> 00:32:22,191
He couldn't resist.
483
00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:23,400
There he is.
484
00:32:29,532 --> 00:32:32,035
It's amazing,
it's beautiful, and it's
485
00:32:32,243 --> 00:32:34,412
the lifeblood
of this entire area.
486
00:32:34,621 --> 00:32:36,080
And uh...
487
00:32:37,165 --> 00:32:39,205
You don't really think
about the politics behind it.
488
00:32:39,292 --> 00:32:40,919
- Watch out!
- - If they could see this--
489
00:32:41,127 --> 00:32:44,047
I'm sorry I can't pay attention
with this going on.
490
00:32:44,255 --> 00:32:45,632
Are you coming?
491
00:32:46,591 --> 00:32:49,260
- I'm not-- I'm not wearing a underwear!
- - Come on!
492
00:32:49,469 --> 00:32:52,263
- Perfect.
- Alright, my bike shorts need washing.
493
00:32:54,057 --> 00:32:56,100
Oh, this is a terrible idea.
494
00:32:57,310 --> 00:32:58,353
Yeah, you better jump in.
495
00:32:58,561 --> 00:33:00,063
Get your ass in here!
496
00:33:00,271 --> 00:33:01,271
I'm comin'!
497
00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:37,058
Big Bend is-- it's one of
those vast landscapes
498
00:33:37,266 --> 00:33:39,978
that is unlike any other.
499
00:33:41,729 --> 00:33:44,148
There's just
a huge amount of diversity
500
00:33:44,357 --> 00:33:46,985
from large mammals all
the way down to the smallest.
501
00:33:48,486 --> 00:33:52,699
And we rely on Mexico
for some of these populations.
502
00:33:54,784 --> 00:33:58,079
Black bear is probably
the best example of that.
503
00:33:58,287 --> 00:34:01,040
You know, we basically
extirpated black bears
504
00:34:01,249 --> 00:34:04,335
from the Big Bend region
of Texas uh, in the 1950s,
505
00:34:04,544 --> 00:34:06,421
uh, hunting, trapping,
things like that.
506
00:34:08,589 --> 00:34:13,344
Until about 1990, we had a--
a lone female come across
507
00:34:13,553 --> 00:34:16,431
and uh, she had cubs,
that population started to grow.
508
00:34:26,482 --> 00:34:30,653
And now we have 40, 50, maybe
even 100 bears in Texas today
509
00:34:30,862 --> 00:34:32,780
and that is solely
dependent on Mexico.
510
00:34:35,825 --> 00:34:38,244
Our large mammals,
they cross that river
511
00:34:38,453 --> 00:34:40,288
sometimes on a daily basis.
512
00:34:43,541 --> 00:34:45,585
If those porters are cut off
513
00:34:47,128 --> 00:34:49,505
you know, if there--
there is a wall there,
514
00:34:49,714 --> 00:34:51,549
it's gonna cut off
that water source.
515
00:34:51,758 --> 00:34:54,052
We would start seeing
issues genetically.
516
00:34:55,678 --> 00:34:58,097
They need to be able
to move freely
517
00:34:58,306 --> 00:34:59,557
to be able to survive.
518
00:35:02,852 --> 00:35:05,104
Donkey found
some shade.
519
00:35:06,105 --> 00:35:08,024
Oh, she did.
Look at her over there.
520
00:35:08,232 --> 00:35:09,400
Oh, she's got a little patch.
521
00:35:09,609 --> 00:35:11,652
I would think
that after a few hours
522
00:35:11,861 --> 00:35:15,073
- you would start to like get
the motion down. - Yes. Yeah.
523
00:35:15,281 --> 00:35:16,532
But it still hasn't happened.
524
00:35:18,326 --> 00:35:21,245
I mean I'm not
ruling kids out, but you know--
525
00:35:43,601 --> 00:35:47,605
I think it's been
a total shock to Heather
526
00:35:47,814 --> 00:35:50,483
and Filipe and Austin's body,
527
00:35:50,691 --> 00:35:55,738
because those are parts
of your body and muscles
528
00:35:55,947 --> 00:35:58,366
that you don't normally use.
529
00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:02,286
Describe the pain.
530
00:36:02,495 --> 00:36:05,081
Describe the pain.
531
00:36:05,289 --> 00:36:07,625
Imagine Bob the Builder
jack hammering away
532
00:36:07,834 --> 00:36:10,294
at your business region
for like 20 miles.
533
00:36:15,883 --> 00:36:18,469
I couldn't quite get the posture
534
00:36:18,678 --> 00:36:20,638
and the trot formation down.
535
00:36:20,847 --> 00:36:24,642
So instead of like posting
and you know, just kind of like
536
00:36:24,851 --> 00:36:27,145
doing that dance with the horse,
537
00:36:27,353 --> 00:36:28,396
I was just bein'--
538
00:36:38,865 --> 00:36:42,410
But with that being said,
it was-- it was emotional.
539
00:36:46,247 --> 00:36:48,332
You don't connect with a bicycle
540
00:36:48,541 --> 00:36:52,587
or a unicycle or a canoe the
same way you do with a horse.
541
00:36:54,589 --> 00:36:57,466
The only thing cooler
than being on top of the world
542
00:36:57,675 --> 00:36:59,343
is being on top
of the world on a horse.
543
00:37:16,861 --> 00:37:19,822
Visually you think that you can
take off, ride somewhere,
544
00:37:20,031 --> 00:37:22,617
and then all of a sudden
there is a 100-footed rail.
545
00:37:24,327 --> 00:37:26,495
There's just no trails
in some of this country.
546
00:37:30,958 --> 00:37:31,959
I don't know.
547
00:37:33,628 --> 00:37:35,421
I don't know about this.
548
00:37:38,507 --> 00:37:39,759
Yeah, I don't-- I don't know
549
00:37:39,967 --> 00:37:42,261
if we're gonna
just be bold and keep goin'.
550
00:37:53,773 --> 00:37:55,626
It's like some of the
most rugged country that--
551
00:37:55,650 --> 00:37:57,235
that I've ever
been through in Texas,
552
00:37:57,443 --> 00:37:59,862
because you just have
these boxed canyons and this--
553
00:38:00,071 --> 00:38:03,324
these sheer rock faces on--
on either side of you.
554
00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:18,005
Yeah, hold off on that route.
555
00:38:27,723 --> 00:38:29,767
Look to the right.
556
00:38:29,976 --> 00:38:30,976
We're boxed in.
557
00:38:31,143 --> 00:38:32,270
It's a boxed canyon.
558
00:38:33,354 --> 00:38:34,772
I was thinking w-- yeah.
559
00:38:34,981 --> 00:38:37,608
Could we not
get semi-high ground?
560
00:38:37,817 --> 00:38:40,945
The smartest thing
to do is turn around
561
00:38:41,153 --> 00:38:42,738
and go back the way we came.
562
00:38:43,823 --> 00:38:48,786
I feel about 95% confident
that the game trail
563
00:38:48,995 --> 00:38:53,582
that does go up, would be
perfectly fine for our horses,
564
00:38:53,791 --> 00:38:58,254
but that 5% risk is something
that I'm not willing to risk
565
00:38:58,462 --> 00:38:59,462
with these guys.
566
00:39:00,589 --> 00:39:01,882
So let's just head on out,
567
00:39:02,091 --> 00:39:04,051
then that way everybody
will be safe.
568
00:39:08,055 --> 00:39:12,643
This area is
as difficult as any landscape
569
00:39:12,852 --> 00:39:14,353
that I've been to in the West.
570
00:39:15,438 --> 00:39:19,942
I don't see how you could build
a physical border wall
571
00:39:20,151 --> 00:39:23,446
that's more difficult to cross
through than this landscape.
572
00:39:25,573 --> 00:39:27,453
One of the things
that I've been frustrated with
573
00:39:27,491 --> 00:39:29,577
when it comes
to border security is
574
00:39:29,785 --> 00:39:31,787
we try to have
a one-size-fits-all solution.
575
00:39:31,996 --> 00:39:36,500
Uh, you can't, because every
mile is-- is different.
576
00:39:36,709 --> 00:39:40,963
You have the Rio Grande,
you have the canyons,
577
00:39:42,048 --> 00:39:43,966
the Chihuahuan Desert,
and you already have
578
00:39:44,175 --> 00:39:46,052
a physical barrier
called mountains.
579
00:39:47,762 --> 00:39:50,890
In some areas where
Border Patrol response time
580
00:39:51,098 --> 00:39:55,019
is measured in hours to days,
581
00:39:55,227 --> 00:39:58,647
a wall is not
a physical barrier, right?
582
00:39:58,856 --> 00:40:02,360
In some places, where there
is urban to urban contact,
583
00:40:02,568 --> 00:40:06,697
a fence makes sense, because Border
Patrol can measure the response time
584
00:40:06,906 --> 00:40:08,532
in seconds to minutes.
585
00:40:08,741 --> 00:40:11,285
But doing it in
the desert and in Big Bend,
586
00:40:11,494 --> 00:40:12,787
that's just crazy.
587
00:40:16,499 --> 00:40:19,710
Building a wall
from sea to shining sea
588
00:40:19,919 --> 00:40:22,713
is the most expensive
and least effective way
589
00:40:22,922 --> 00:40:23,964
to do border security.
590
00:40:38,479 --> 00:40:40,398
Another beautiful morning
in the Rio Grande.
591
00:40:53,202 --> 00:40:54,453
We're going to Mexico!
592
00:40:55,663 --> 00:40:56,663
Doin' it, guys!
593
00:41:01,627 --> 00:41:04,505
I'm officially in Mexico. Ahay!
594
00:41:04,713 --> 00:41:05,713
Let's go get tacos.
595
00:41:18,936 --> 00:41:22,440
Oh!
596
00:41:22,648 --> 00:41:24,775
- Oh!
- Oh my gosh!
597
00:41:24,984 --> 00:41:26,944
Oh, man!
598
00:41:27,153 --> 00:41:28,833
- Oh, these enchiladas?
- - Um, so excited.
599
00:41:28,988 --> 00:41:30,448
Oh my gosh!
600
00:41:30,656 --> 00:41:32,032
- Mmm.
- I have two spoons.
601
00:41:32,241 --> 00:41:33,617
- Oh my God!
- I mean two forks.
602
00:41:33,826 --> 00:41:34,826
Perfect.
603
00:41:35,494 --> 00:41:38,205
- Hi, welcome.
- Thanks so much.
604
00:41:38,414 --> 00:41:40,291
Would you like to sit down?
605
00:41:41,333 --> 00:41:43,002
- Welcome.
- Thank you!
606
00:41:43,210 --> 00:41:47,381
Thank you for eating our food.
I hope you like it.
607
00:41:47,590 --> 00:41:48,984
- It was delicious!
- The food is so good!
608
00:41:49,008 --> 00:41:50,634
Tell her, to eat
one of these tacos
609
00:41:50,885 --> 00:41:52,595
is like being
kissed by an angel.
610
00:41:53,137 --> 00:41:56,348
So, how long has this
restaurant been in your family?
611
00:41:59,768 --> 00:42:01,562
Oh my god, I'm full.
612
00:42:04,148 --> 00:42:06,066
Jay, you got the time?
613
00:42:06,275 --> 00:42:08,027
11 to.
614
00:42:12,740 --> 00:42:15,659
This is gonna be like my
Christmas present this year.
615
00:42:15,868 --> 00:42:18,746
Spread the wealth.
Spread the wealth. It stops.
616
00:42:19,538 --> 00:42:20,538
Chalo!
617
00:42:20,623 --> 00:42:22,503
- Pleasure to meet you.
- Very nice to meet you.
618
00:42:22,708 --> 00:42:25,002
Chalo here is telling us
about the uh, power plant
619
00:42:25,211 --> 00:42:27,814
that we should go check out. From there
it's a really good view to look through.
620
00:42:27,838 --> 00:42:29,673
But it's a--
it's a solar power plant.
621
00:42:29,882 --> 00:42:31,151
- This is all solar power.
- No way.
622
00:42:31,175 --> 00:42:32,611
It's the one that
provides electricity
623
00:42:32,635 --> 00:42:34,315
- to the whole town here.
- You're kidding.
624
00:42:34,762 --> 00:42:37,056
What do you believe would
happen here in Boquillas
625
00:42:37,264 --> 00:42:39,767
if a wall were constructed?
626
00:42:40,559 --> 00:42:43,354
What would be affected...
627
00:42:44,188 --> 00:42:45,648
is the wildlife.
628
00:42:45,856 --> 00:42:48,692
Because there,
if we look here is a mountain range here
629
00:42:48,901 --> 00:42:50,653
and a mountain range over there.
630
00:42:50,861 --> 00:42:53,155
And these mountain
ranges share the wildlife.
631
00:42:54,406 --> 00:42:57,368
Here, we've seen bears,
632
00:42:57,576 --> 00:43:00,996
black bears, lions.
633
00:43:01,205 --> 00:43:04,166
The lions come down specifically
because there's a river,
634
00:43:04,375 --> 00:43:06,377
so they walk down
from the mountain.
635
00:43:06,585 --> 00:43:09,838
The wildlife is
something we value here
636
00:43:10,047 --> 00:43:14,385
apart from everything else,
it's also an attraction for tourism.
637
00:43:14,593 --> 00:43:15,761
What do you think
638
00:43:15,970 --> 00:43:19,640
It's been eighty years that
639
00:43:19,848 --> 00:43:26,438
we've been thinking and talking
about a binational park.
640
00:43:26,647 --> 00:43:29,650
What do you think is necessary
641
00:43:29,858 --> 00:43:34,822
to make it a reality?
642
00:43:35,030 --> 00:43:37,241
I would like it, and would
love to see it happen.
643
00:43:37,449 --> 00:43:40,452
I am willing to put my
part in what is necessary
644
00:43:40,661 --> 00:43:43,497
But people are
needed with the drive,
645
00:43:43,706 --> 00:43:47,501
that come with a positive
outlook, not with a negative one.
646
00:43:51,755 --> 00:43:56,135
There's been talk about
a binational park for decades.
647
00:43:58,345 --> 00:44:01,640
There's millions of acres
that are already held
648
00:44:01,849 --> 00:44:03,934
in public trust
by both countries.
649
00:44:06,979 --> 00:44:09,106
It's time
to see somebody step forward
650
00:44:09,315 --> 00:44:12,860
and really shepherd that
and bring that into fruition.
651
00:44:15,321 --> 00:44:17,865
It would be
a really natural step.
652
00:44:18,073 --> 00:44:22,369
There's already huge
protected lands on both sides.
653
00:44:23,787 --> 00:44:26,206
The river itself
is wild and scenic.
654
00:44:29,418 --> 00:44:34,131
There's populations of bear
and mountain lion
655
00:44:34,340 --> 00:44:37,134
and birds and butterflies
moving back and forth
656
00:44:37,343 --> 00:44:39,637
between the two protected areas.
657
00:44:40,763 --> 00:44:46,143
It blows my mind. So many times I found
myself saying: "This is in Texas?"
658
00:44:46,352 --> 00:44:51,815
Like we're not in Montana
or Yellowstone or Yosemite."
659
00:44:52,024 --> 00:44:53,776
You know,
this place is legendary.
660
00:44:55,694 --> 00:45:00,157
It's Texas' last chance
to create something truly great
661
00:45:00,366 --> 00:45:03,577
as far as
a huge intact ecosystem.
662
00:45:03,786 --> 00:45:05,412
And we can't do it
without Mexico.
663
00:45:07,289 --> 00:45:09,792
On the last big horseback
journey, we rode through
664
00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:14,004
Waterton-Glacier International
Peace Park on the US-Canada border,
665
00:45:16,757 --> 00:45:19,009
created to symbolize
a friendship
666
00:45:19,218 --> 00:45:22,429
and a shared ecosystem
between the two countries.
667
00:45:24,306 --> 00:45:26,392
That same opportunity
exists here.
668
00:45:30,437 --> 00:45:32,898
And it's a completely
different way
669
00:45:33,107 --> 00:45:34,942
to look at the US-Mexico border.
670
00:46:22,906 --> 00:46:24,116
Whoa, we got shadows!
671
00:46:24,324 --> 00:46:26,243
Yay, that's our goal!
672
00:46:27,828 --> 00:46:29,997
- Ben, get a photo!
- I got it.
673
00:46:30,205 --> 00:46:32,750
- Yeah, that's so neat.
- Wow!
674
00:46:32,958 --> 00:46:33,959
Isn't nature neat?
675
00:46:34,168 --> 00:46:35,836
I-- Good job, nature.
676
00:46:37,045 --> 00:46:40,883
- Good job.
- - Well, after riding bicycles and riding horses,
677
00:46:41,091 --> 00:46:42,851
we've all come to
the agreement that they are
678
00:46:42,885 --> 00:46:45,095
a far superior form
of transportation.
679
00:46:51,643 --> 00:46:53,020
Alright, Tough.
680
00:46:55,898 --> 00:46:57,775
Come on, donkey.
681
00:46:57,983 --> 00:46:59,443
I think we might have
to pick her up.
682
00:46:59,651 --> 00:47:00,778
Come on, girlfriend.
683
00:47:00,986 --> 00:47:02,237
- Aw!
- Aw!
684
00:47:02,446 --> 00:47:04,865
- That's a good girl
- Great donkey.
685
00:47:05,073 --> 00:47:06,950
- Ben, you--
- Ben, you stay in there.
686
00:47:08,118 --> 00:47:10,078
Actually, I feel like
staying with my horses.
687
00:47:10,287 --> 00:47:11,413
Bye, ponies.
688
00:47:11,622 --> 00:47:12,831
I miss you already.
689
00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:14,458
Oh! Be good, horses.
690
00:47:14,666 --> 00:47:16,026
- Stay well, guys.
- See you, Star.
691
00:47:16,084 --> 00:47:18,086
Don't let anybody else ride you.
692
00:47:18,295 --> 00:47:19,922
That goes for
the rest of your life.
693
00:47:20,130 --> 00:47:21,131
Donkey, now, you too.
694
00:47:21,340 --> 00:47:22,900
- Oh, see, donkey is calling you.
- Man.
695
00:47:23,383 --> 00:47:24,468
It's sad to see him go.
696
00:47:25,511 --> 00:47:27,054
Let's go get us some canoes.
697
00:47:28,514 --> 00:47:30,265
Aw!
698
00:47:36,230 --> 00:47:38,148
Springs flow
in to the Rio Grande
699
00:47:38,357 --> 00:47:40,025
and Big Bend National Park,
700
00:47:40,234 --> 00:47:42,528
and there is now
enough water to paddle a canoe.
701
00:47:45,405 --> 00:47:47,199
For the next 150 miles,
702
00:47:47,407 --> 00:47:49,827
we are going to travel
through Boquillas Canyon
703
00:47:50,035 --> 00:47:53,163
and the Lower Canyons,
an area so special,
704
00:47:53,372 --> 00:47:56,291
and so rugged
that it is federally protected
705
00:47:56,500 --> 00:47:58,001
as a wild and scenic river.
706
00:48:02,256 --> 00:48:03,841
I think
we needed to take account
707
00:48:04,967 --> 00:48:06,510
of what exactly
we're doing right now.
708
00:48:06,718 --> 00:48:08,387
We're going
into the most wild places
709
00:48:08,595 --> 00:48:09,930
in the state of Texas.
710
00:48:10,138 --> 00:48:12,099
We are going
into true wilderness
711
00:48:13,475 --> 00:48:14,893
where there's no support.
712
00:48:15,102 --> 00:48:16,454
Like our vehicles
have us supported on.
713
00:48:16,478 --> 00:48:18,105
I think all of us,
714
00:48:18,313 --> 00:48:21,275
we should have a higher sense
of risk management.
715
00:48:22,568 --> 00:48:23,902
We got high pressure,
716
00:48:24,111 --> 00:48:28,240
500 cfs
and 15 miles to go today.
717
00:48:28,448 --> 00:48:32,077
750 left in the journey.
718
00:48:32,286 --> 00:48:33,286
Feelin' pretty good.
719
00:48:34,621 --> 00:48:37,040
The river does not discriminate,
it can be any of us.
720
00:48:38,542 --> 00:48:40,252
There is three kinds of boatmen.
721
00:48:40,460 --> 00:48:43,922
One that has flipped,
one that is going to flip,
722
00:48:44,131 --> 00:48:45,257
and one that is flipping.
723
00:48:47,342 --> 00:48:48,342
That's a fact.
724
00:48:52,347 --> 00:48:53,390
Oh!
725
00:48:54,433 --> 00:48:56,894
- Oh, Austin dissipated.
- What does that mean?
726
00:48:58,103 --> 00:49:00,063
- Oh shit.
- Oh shit.
727
00:49:00,272 --> 00:49:01,273
Oh shit.
728
00:49:01,481 --> 00:49:02,566
- Stay there, Ben.
- No, no!
729
00:49:02,774 --> 00:49:05,819
No! No!, No! No! No!
730
00:49:06,028 --> 00:49:07,505
- Not the camera again, guys!
- - Oh my God!
731
00:49:07,529 --> 00:49:08,609
There you go, there you go.
732
00:49:10,449 --> 00:49:13,076
It was good to acknowledge
that things can go bad.
733
00:49:13,285 --> 00:49:16,121
And they can go
bad really fast and really easy.
734
00:49:16,330 --> 00:49:17,330
Make it on the--
735
00:49:18,415 --> 00:49:20,476
I know we just like to s--
like we were talking about just
736
00:49:20,500 --> 00:49:21,603
like going
and learning on the river,
737
00:49:21,627 --> 00:49:24,922
but like
if we can't handle this,
738
00:49:25,130 --> 00:49:26,965
we got no business
going up to Lower Canyons.
739
00:49:54,409 --> 00:49:56,578
Yeah, I think Ben might
have seen them first.
740
00:49:56,787 --> 00:50:01,583
We kind of rounded the Bend and they
had been drinking out of the river end.
741
00:50:01,792 --> 00:50:06,338
We pulled off and they were uh,
probably a dozen desert sheep.
742
00:50:06,546 --> 00:50:08,382
There's at least
one up there with a collar.
743
00:50:08,590 --> 00:50:10,133
Could you give
an estimate with out--
744
00:50:10,342 --> 00:50:11,982
It was pretty spectacular
to have actually
745
00:50:12,177 --> 00:50:14,304
seen them utilizing the river.
746
00:50:14,513 --> 00:50:18,308
That-- that sort of hit home to
me that that's their water source.
747
00:50:18,517 --> 00:50:20,018
All you're you seeing
is a cool effort
748
00:50:20,227 --> 00:50:22,646
between US and Mexico,
'cause those sheep,
749
00:50:22,854 --> 00:50:24,982
they have no idea which
side of the river is which?
750
00:50:25,190 --> 00:50:26,709
And they're probably--
they're down here
751
00:50:26,733 --> 00:50:29,987
like drinking from the Rio
and probably cross over,
752
00:50:30,195 --> 00:50:32,423
- go into Mexico.
- You think they'll cross into Mexico and--
753
00:50:32,447 --> 00:50:33,198
- Oh, for sure.
- Yeah?
754
00:50:33,407 --> 00:50:34,408
They've got collar data,
755
00:50:34,616 --> 00:50:35,616
they just use--
756
00:50:35,701 --> 00:50:37,202
They go all across in here.
757
00:50:38,745 --> 00:50:42,457
Yeah, it's a cool history,
because they were completely eliminated
758
00:50:42,666 --> 00:50:44,209
out of this area.
759
00:50:44,418 --> 00:50:46,545
And then about 50 years ago,
760
00:50:46,753 --> 00:50:49,172
they started bringin' them back.
And they went from zero
761
00:50:49,381 --> 00:50:51,341
to where they now have
over 2,000 of 'em.
762
00:50:51,550 --> 00:50:53,510
It's like this huge story
of conservation...
763
00:50:53,719 --> 00:50:55,159
- Ben's boat!
- success in this area.
764
00:50:55,220 --> 00:50:56,972
- Oh shit!
- Oh shit.
765
00:50:57,180 --> 00:50:58,557
Guys, help!
766
00:50:58,765 --> 00:51:01,268
- Hold this.
- I got distracted by the sheep.
767
00:51:02,477 --> 00:51:04,354
You got a paddle?
768
00:51:04,563 --> 00:51:07,566
He doesn't have a paddle!
769
00:51:07,774 --> 00:51:09,359
He's-- he's gonna rev, Jay!
770
00:51:13,321 --> 00:51:15,449
He doesn't know how to paddle.
771
00:51:15,657 --> 00:51:17,784
He's never steered before!
772
00:51:26,376 --> 00:51:28,128
This environment on the river,
773
00:51:28,336 --> 00:51:30,255
Austin's just
had a lot of experience
774
00:51:30,464 --> 00:51:34,384
and so he really knows
how to like pace the group,
775
00:51:34,593 --> 00:51:37,554
he knows how to run rapids,
he knows how to scale.
776
00:51:37,763 --> 00:51:40,807
That was a new part of Austin
that we hadn't seen previously.
777
00:51:42,517 --> 00:51:45,020
This is a first class 3
that we've seen
778
00:51:45,228 --> 00:51:46,396
this entire time out here.
779
00:51:48,356 --> 00:51:51,359
We've got our rescue line ready
780
00:51:51,568 --> 00:51:56,114
in case he flips
and has to bend his boat.
781
00:51:56,323 --> 00:51:57,323
Here we go.
782
00:51:59,201 --> 00:52:02,204
Slight tip to the right.
Bow to the right.
783
00:52:02,412 --> 00:52:03,830
Wooh!
784
00:52:05,540 --> 00:52:06,750
No thanks.
785
00:52:06,958 --> 00:52:08,126
Alright, I'm up.
786
00:52:09,544 --> 00:52:11,671
Paddle hard,
take chances, y'all!
787
00:52:14,966 --> 00:52:16,384
Yeah. Yeah.
788
00:52:16,593 --> 00:52:18,512
You guys
are makin' this look easy.
789
00:52:19,721 --> 00:52:22,182
Jay, come on!
790
00:52:22,390 --> 00:52:24,550
Stream it up, stream it up,
stream it up, stream it up!
791
00:52:26,812 --> 00:52:28,730
Yeah, that was great.
I loved it.
792
00:52:28,939 --> 00:52:31,066
Alright,
everybody else nailed it.
793
00:52:31,274 --> 00:52:33,401
So uh, we got to
have one spill, right?
794
00:52:33,610 --> 00:52:35,070
Oh my god.
795
00:52:35,278 --> 00:52:38,657
Oh no!
796
00:52:41,576 --> 00:52:43,411
That's it, that's it, that's it.
797
00:52:47,499 --> 00:52:48,875
You lucky son of a bitch!
798
00:52:50,252 --> 00:52:52,420
Hey, I tried to
make it interesting for you!
799
00:53:02,556 --> 00:53:05,433
People are
not thinking of this area
800
00:53:06,560 --> 00:53:08,478
when they're
picturing the border
801
00:53:08,687 --> 00:53:12,107
and building a border wall.
802
00:53:12,315 --> 00:53:14,609
I think they're
thinking of the cities.
803
00:53:18,488 --> 00:53:20,615
It's this wild place
that's super rugged
804
00:53:20,824 --> 00:53:22,701
and hard to get through anyway.
805
00:53:24,536 --> 00:53:27,789
Why would we
construct a barrier there?
806
00:53:27,998 --> 00:53:29,249
A man made barrier.
807
00:53:32,377 --> 00:53:36,214
This is like going
through the Grand Canyon,
808
00:53:36,423 --> 00:53:40,177
paddling the Colorado
without the crowds.
809
00:53:40,385 --> 00:53:46,349
It's just as-- as remote,
and grand, and wild.
810
00:54:23,386 --> 00:54:27,182
One of my biggest joys
is that I get to show people
811
00:54:27,390 --> 00:54:29,309
what I love,
and that's the Rio Grande.
812
00:54:31,728 --> 00:54:36,441
The first time it impacted me
was when I came here in college.
813
00:54:36,650 --> 00:54:40,737
Uh, I was actually coming here
to train to be a river guide
814
00:54:40,946 --> 00:54:44,658
and the first trip
I ever did was Dark Canyon,
815
00:54:44,866 --> 00:54:46,368
which is a short,
but tall canyon.
816
00:54:46,576 --> 00:54:48,411
Short in length,
tall in height canyon
817
00:54:48,620 --> 00:54:50,205
in the State Park.
818
00:54:50,413 --> 00:54:52,874
And I fell in love with
what's easy to fall in love with
819
00:54:53,083 --> 00:54:55,919
you know, beauty, the grandness,
the-- the just
820
00:54:56,127 --> 00:55:00,423
total uh, magnificence
of the Rio Grande.
821
00:55:00,632 --> 00:55:02,592
And then the more I explored,
the more I just,
822
00:55:02,801 --> 00:55:05,804
for lack of
better words, was wowed!
823
00:55:36,042 --> 00:55:37,877
And lately
I've been thinking about how...
824
00:55:39,546 --> 00:55:42,841
I got into this whole
outdoor recreation industry
825
00:55:44,426 --> 00:55:45,969
for a lot of reasons
and one of which--
826
00:55:46,177 --> 00:55:49,472
which-- that I've never
really admitted to myself
827
00:55:49,681 --> 00:55:52,726
is I've grown up as
the child of illegal immigrants.
828
00:55:52,934 --> 00:55:56,229
Status is a really big thing
829
00:55:56,438 --> 00:55:58,606
as much-- you know, I--
My parents are really proud.
830
00:55:58,815 --> 00:56:01,276
They-- they taught me
that you know, you--
831
00:56:01,484 --> 00:56:03,987
you work for
everything you have and you--
832
00:56:04,195 --> 00:56:07,615
you don't ask for things,
you earn things.
833
00:56:08,950 --> 00:56:11,786
But I'd be lying to tell you
that as a child of an--
834
00:56:11,995 --> 00:56:13,371
of illegal immigrants,
835
00:56:14,456 --> 00:56:15,976
status was in--
in the back of my head.
836
00:56:16,166 --> 00:56:18,019
And it-- it sounds awful
and I hate to admit it,
837
00:56:18,043 --> 00:56:20,670
but it has been.
838
00:56:20,879 --> 00:56:22,559
Like why couldn't
my parents learn English?
839
00:56:24,674 --> 00:56:29,346
Why couldn't they know
how the school system worked?
840
00:56:30,472 --> 00:56:31,472
I just didn't understand.
841
00:56:31,556 --> 00:56:32,932
I was angry, I was mad.
842
00:56:35,060 --> 00:56:37,896
And the outdoors,
the Rio Grande,
843
00:56:38,104 --> 00:56:41,858
that's somewhere where status
doesn't matter, you know?
844
00:56:42,067 --> 00:56:44,778
It is a true
level playing field.
845
00:56:46,905 --> 00:56:48,031
And I find that...
846
00:56:50,950 --> 00:56:52,702
my connection to the Rio Grande,
847
00:56:52,911 --> 00:56:56,539
my connection to the Big Bend
is really founded on that.
848
00:57:00,960 --> 00:57:03,630
It's such an equalizer.
849
00:57:12,931 --> 00:57:14,771
Alright, so this is
where we have to figure out
850
00:57:14,974 --> 00:57:17,060
where we wanna pull it
to the right
851
00:57:17,268 --> 00:57:19,062
around this penile crap
right here,
852
00:57:19,270 --> 00:57:20,397
which we wanna avoid,
853
00:57:20,605 --> 00:57:21,981
or run the shoot
on the left side
854
00:57:22,190 --> 00:57:23,650
down the actual Madison Falls.
855
00:57:26,653 --> 00:57:28,696
I don't know how the hell--
I mean I'm--
856
00:57:28,905 --> 00:57:31,585
don't know what I'm doing regardless,
but I don't know how you would
857
00:57:31,616 --> 00:57:34,744
do this in a canoe.
858
00:57:34,953 --> 00:57:38,415
Yeah, like how is it like-- This
is only a Kayak City, right?
859
00:57:43,878 --> 00:57:45,630
Oh gosh! See, that's--
860
00:57:45,839 --> 00:57:47,590
- Oh shit.
- Oh shit.
861
00:57:47,799 --> 00:57:48,800
Oh.
862
00:57:49,843 --> 00:57:52,095
Oh!
863
00:57:57,016 --> 00:57:59,018
See, that's
what I was worried about. Yeah.
864
00:58:02,147 --> 00:58:04,649
Ben, are you going?
Are you still goin'?
865
00:58:06,151 --> 00:58:07,819
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
866
00:58:08,027 --> 00:58:09,195
Yeah.
867
00:58:11,865 --> 00:58:14,576
Spin yourself before
you back yourself in.
868
00:58:14,784 --> 00:58:18,413
- Get it straight on! Go on! Stay left.
- Stay left! Go high!
869
00:58:18,621 --> 00:58:20,623
- He's hit it.
- - No, he's got it, he's got it!
870
00:58:20,832 --> 00:58:22,792
- Oh!
- Oh shit.
871
00:58:23,001 --> 00:58:24,001
He's stuck.
872
00:58:24,919 --> 00:58:26,880
Ben, don't
get caught underneath!
873
00:58:39,893 --> 00:58:41,019
I can't move it!
874
00:58:42,937 --> 00:58:45,017
Can we get on that corner?
Hang up, hang up, hang up!
875
00:58:45,190 --> 00:58:46,232
Stop, stop.
876
00:58:51,613 --> 00:58:52,655
On the count of three.
877
00:58:52,864 --> 00:58:55,742
One, two, three.
878
00:58:57,660 --> 00:58:58,912
Let it go, let it go.
879
00:58:59,120 --> 00:59:01,080
Okay, let it go,
let it go, let it go, let it go.
880
00:59:01,289 --> 00:59:02,999
- Watch out, watch out.
- Watch out, JK!
881
00:59:03,208 --> 00:59:04,501
You want me to get in it?
882
00:59:04,709 --> 00:59:05,752
What, oh no, no!
883
00:59:16,095 --> 00:59:17,847
Oh man.
884
00:59:18,056 --> 00:59:19,516
Well.
885
00:59:19,724 --> 00:59:23,019
Oh, no.
It's already taking in water.
886
00:59:25,313 --> 00:59:27,649
Oh, ho, ho, ho.
887
00:59:30,777 --> 00:59:32,779
Come on, Jay, come on, Jay.
888
00:59:43,289 --> 00:59:44,874
That looked kinda scary.
889
00:59:51,256 --> 00:59:52,632
Fell.
890
01:00:12,944 --> 01:00:14,320
Two, and three.
891
01:00:16,364 --> 01:00:18,032
There goes the bag.
There goes the bag.
892
01:00:38,386 --> 01:00:41,222
I don't know, I feel-- I feel
good. I feel like everybody's
893
01:00:41,431 --> 01:00:42,724
had a little bit
of a wakeup call
894
01:00:42,932 --> 01:00:44,809
and uh,
we should have a good day
895
01:00:45,018 --> 01:00:47,186
today, hopefully stay dry.
896
01:00:47,395 --> 01:00:51,649
The weather forecast is
calling for lows in the low 20s
897
01:00:51,858 --> 01:00:54,611
with 20 to 30 mile
per hour north winds
898
01:00:54,819 --> 01:00:56,529
with gusts up to 40.
899
01:00:56,738 --> 01:00:58,239
That is our tailwind.
900
01:00:58,448 --> 01:01:01,743
So, we're getting
to make lemonade
901
01:01:01,951 --> 01:01:04,078
out of these weather lemons.
902
01:01:06,748 --> 01:01:07,749
Good one.
903
01:01:07,957 --> 01:01:10,293
You had time for the--
904
01:01:10,501 --> 01:01:12,855
- for the thing to make time for.
- - Yeah, make time for you.
905
01:01:12,879 --> 01:01:14,255
Yeah.
906
01:01:14,464 --> 01:01:16,633
It's not ideal,
but it's the way that it is.
907
01:01:25,767 --> 01:01:27,685
So we've been paddling
for 30-plus miles now
908
01:01:27,894 --> 01:01:30,980
and we're entering
the main body of Lake Amistad.
909
01:01:53,711 --> 01:01:55,338
We're doing just great!
910
01:01:55,546 --> 01:01:57,173
Hey, Heather!
911
01:01:57,382 --> 01:01:58,132
- Only--
- Howdy, Ben.
912
01:01:58,341 --> 01:01:59,842
Only 12 more miles
913
01:02:00,051 --> 01:02:03,179
directly into the headwind.
914
01:02:03,388 --> 01:02:07,016
Twelve more miles to get some
white caps on the lake,
915
01:02:07,225 --> 01:02:09,060
but the sun is out today.
916
01:02:48,850 --> 01:02:50,370
We are now done
with the Canyon Country
917
01:02:50,518 --> 01:02:52,145
and Lake Amistad.
918
01:02:52,353 --> 01:02:55,398
The terrain here flattens out,
there's more people,
919
01:02:55,606 --> 01:03:00,069
and a border wall already exists
along most of the towns and cities.
920
01:03:00,278 --> 01:03:02,363
But the open country
doesn't have a wall yet.
921
01:03:02,572 --> 01:03:04,907
So we met up
with rancher Steve Lamantia
922
01:03:05,116 --> 01:03:07,285
to see how it
will affect his operation.
923
01:03:07,493 --> 01:03:11,205
Water in-- in this part
of the country is life.
924
01:03:11,414 --> 01:03:13,124
So water
is very important to us.
925
01:03:13,332 --> 01:03:15,418
Without the water,
we-- we can't operate.
926
01:03:15,626 --> 01:03:17,795
My name is Steve Lamantia.
927
01:03:18,004 --> 01:03:21,257
I am in charge
of the ranch operation.
928
01:03:21,466 --> 01:03:25,303
Basically been on the river
or on the border my whole life.
929
01:03:25,511 --> 01:03:29,307
But for the longest time
we always considered Mexico
930
01:03:29,515 --> 01:03:33,436
and the US as one. And no
division uh, because there was
931
01:03:33,644 --> 01:03:36,856
such a fluid movement
of people back and forth.
932
01:03:37,064 --> 01:03:40,109
My wife and I--
my children grew up with kids
933
01:03:40,318 --> 01:03:42,403
from Mexico when going back
and forth to Mexico
934
01:03:42,612 --> 01:03:44,405
was like
goin' across the street.
935
01:03:46,073 --> 01:03:48,284
People don't really understand
the border, I think,
936
01:03:48,493 --> 01:03:50,745
that are-- that are-- that are
talking about it.
937
01:03:50,953 --> 01:03:53,539
They don't take the time to
come down here and look at it.
938
01:03:54,499 --> 01:03:57,210
So did you know that
Border Patrol was down here?
939
01:03:57,418 --> 01:03:59,170
No, they have--
I give 'em open access.
940
01:03:59,378 --> 01:04:01,297
They-- they--
they built the ramp
941
01:04:01,506 --> 01:04:03,132
- and part of the deal was--
- Oh.
942
01:04:03,341 --> 01:04:06,928
Them building the ramp was
they can use it whenever.
943
01:04:07,136 --> 01:04:10,014
The landowners are in favor
of additional border security.
944
01:04:11,182 --> 01:04:17,021
A physical wall does not accomplish
border security in my opinion.
945
01:04:17,230 --> 01:04:20,316
We don't want the federal government
taking our land, obviously.
946
01:04:20,525 --> 01:04:23,861
I think most of the landowners
will fight it tooth and nail
947
01:04:24,070 --> 01:04:27,114
besides of the fact
that you are taking
948
01:04:27,323 --> 01:04:31,911
very independently mind--
minded landowners
949
01:04:32,119 --> 01:04:33,246
and it's a land grab.
950
01:04:33,454 --> 01:04:35,014
They are taking
their land away from 'em
951
01:04:35,164 --> 01:04:38,000
and they don't
have the right to say no.
952
01:04:38,209 --> 01:04:41,170
Uh, and that's gonna leave
a very poor taste in the mouths
953
01:04:41,379 --> 01:04:42,839
of a lot of people
on this river.
954
01:04:43,047 --> 01:04:48,970
So basically, from within
about 400 miles upriver
955
01:04:49,178 --> 01:04:52,181
of the Gulf of Mexico,
the uh-- the communities
956
01:04:52,390 --> 01:04:55,893
on both sides of the border rely
on the Rio Grande river
957
01:04:56,102 --> 01:05:00,106
for agricultural
and residential use.
958
01:05:00,314 --> 01:05:01,314
No question.
959
01:05:05,653 --> 01:05:08,281
So you're saying
it may not be a good idea
960
01:05:08,489 --> 01:05:11,534
to wall ourselves away from the
only good water in the desert?
961
01:05:11,742 --> 01:05:13,262
That would be
a pretty good assessment.
962
01:05:13,411 --> 01:05:15,037
Okay, good.
963
01:05:17,665 --> 01:05:22,545
There is a-- a labor pool here
that is not being satisfied
964
01:05:22,753 --> 01:05:25,047
and can be
satisfied by immigrants
965
01:05:25,256 --> 01:05:26,883
coming to this country,
966
01:05:27,091 --> 01:05:31,888
which has happened
for 250 years.
967
01:05:32,096 --> 01:05:35,057
If that is happening, which
I think is happening right now,
968
01:05:35,266 --> 01:05:38,019
then I see no reason
why it shouldn't continue
969
01:05:38,227 --> 01:05:41,230
and I see no reason
why those people need
970
01:05:41,439 --> 01:05:43,065
to be here under the radar.
971
01:05:43,274 --> 01:05:45,514
And maybe I'm not smart enough
to understand the problem,
972
01:05:45,651 --> 01:05:47,361
but if there
is a need for the labor,
973
01:05:47,570 --> 01:05:49,989
and they come over here
and they are working
974
01:05:51,032 --> 01:05:54,160
and holding down a job,
then why sh--
975
01:05:54,368 --> 01:05:55,368
Why don't we want 'em?
976
01:05:58,706 --> 01:06:02,084
In the 1940s,
as a result of World War II,
977
01:06:02,293 --> 01:06:05,421
we had a system
called the Bracero Program
978
01:06:05,630 --> 01:06:09,091
where Mexican farm laborers
were coming over,
979
01:06:09,300 --> 01:06:11,093
and they were working
in American fields
980
01:06:11,302 --> 01:06:14,931
while uh, our US men were
abroad fighting in Europe
981
01:06:15,139 --> 01:06:17,934
and our American women were in--
in factories.
982
01:06:18,684 --> 01:06:22,855
The fact is we still don't have
enough seasonal domestic labor
983
01:06:23,064 --> 01:06:24,523
willing to do this
kind of work.
984
01:06:24,732 --> 01:06:29,445
In 1965, the
Bracero Program officially ends.
985
01:06:29,654 --> 01:06:31,530
But that doesn't mean
that these patterns
986
01:06:31,739 --> 01:06:33,950
that were established, end.
987
01:06:34,158 --> 01:06:37,370
So the agricultural interest
kept asking for the labor
988
01:06:37,578 --> 01:06:39,372
and the labor kept coming.
989
01:06:41,082 --> 01:06:44,001
This bill
is the most comprehensive reform
990
01:06:44,210 --> 01:06:46,712
of our
immigration law since 1952.
991
01:06:51,550 --> 01:06:54,512
Including employer sanctions,
other measures
992
01:06:54,720 --> 01:06:57,223
to increase enforcement
of the immigration laws
993
01:06:57,431 --> 01:06:58,474
and legalization.
994
01:07:03,270 --> 01:07:06,273
What happened was
that the key component
995
01:07:06,482 --> 01:07:09,151
of employer sanction was
never put into place.
996
01:07:09,360 --> 01:07:13,155
It was illegal, but everybody
you know, wink, wink, nod, nod,
997
01:07:13,364 --> 01:07:14,490
this is going on.
998
01:07:16,117 --> 01:07:18,327
Fast-forward to the early 1990s,
999
01:07:18,536 --> 01:07:20,329
immigration
becomes a flashpoint.
1000
01:07:20,538 --> 01:07:24,125
There is too much of it and we
must do much more to stop it.
1001
01:07:24,333 --> 01:07:26,252
And at
this point we see what we know
1002
01:07:26,460 --> 01:07:29,255
as the modern-day
border infrastructure,
1003
01:07:32,091 --> 01:07:35,052
not just physically,
but also in terms of personnel.
1004
01:07:36,429 --> 01:07:38,389
As a result
it was harder for immigrants
1005
01:07:38,597 --> 01:07:39,682
to go back and forth.
1006
01:07:40,808 --> 01:07:43,102
And once they were there,
they weren't going to leave,
1007
01:07:43,310 --> 01:07:44,687
because again, every year
1008
01:07:44,895 --> 01:07:46,772
the border got
harder and harder to cross.
1009
01:07:49,483 --> 01:07:51,527
So now, we have
this larger permanent
1010
01:07:51,736 --> 01:07:54,780
undocumented population
in the United States.
1011
01:08:08,169 --> 01:08:11,255
This is the first wall we've seen
since just outside of El Paso.
1012
01:08:12,840 --> 01:08:15,259
The wall that's right there,
1013
01:08:15,468 --> 01:08:17,970
that was built
under Secure Fence Act
1014
01:08:18,179 --> 01:08:20,139
during the Bush administration,
so it's probably--
1015
01:08:21,265 --> 01:08:23,309
probably 10 years old now.
1016
01:08:23,517 --> 01:08:26,062
And the wall
that they are calling for,
1017
01:08:26,270 --> 01:08:27,730
that President Trump
wants to build
1018
01:08:27,938 --> 01:08:32,234
is gonna be probably
10 feet higher than that.
1019
01:08:32,443 --> 01:08:35,279
Solid concrete, so you wouldn't
be able to look through it.
1020
01:08:35,488 --> 01:08:38,115
And then also it'd have
these massive flood lights
1021
01:08:38,324 --> 01:08:43,120
that look into
the river and along.
1022
01:08:43,329 --> 01:08:45,247
And then they would
clear out all the brush,
1023
01:08:45,456 --> 01:08:47,708
and all the vegetation,
and trees.
1024
01:08:51,128 --> 01:08:52,588
One of the things
that's unfortunate,
1025
01:08:52,797 --> 01:08:55,216
that we've noticed,
this is Mexico on our right,
1026
01:08:55,424 --> 01:08:57,468
this is the US on our left,
1027
01:08:57,676 --> 01:09:00,721
and we have forfeited
all this land
1028
01:09:00,930 --> 01:09:02,598
to become no-man's land,
1029
01:09:02,807 --> 01:09:05,518
which means that
nobody from the US side
1030
01:09:05,726 --> 01:09:08,562
is enjoying this river
right now except for us.
1031
01:09:08,771 --> 01:09:12,191
And all the Mexican side
is fishing, throwing parties,
1032
01:09:12,399 --> 01:09:14,110
you can hear people
playing soccer,
1033
01:09:14,318 --> 01:09:17,113
families are out walking around
enjoying the river,
1034
01:09:17,321 --> 01:09:19,698
and it's obviously
very much a part of life
1035
01:09:19,907 --> 01:09:22,493
in this section
of the Rio Grande.
1036
01:09:22,701 --> 01:09:26,580
And how sad is that?
Nobody from the US side
1037
01:09:26,789 --> 01:09:29,375
can enjoy this beautiful
pristine river right now.
1038
01:09:29,583 --> 01:09:33,546
A wall completely deters
any recreational activity
1039
01:09:33,754 --> 01:09:35,464
from the Rio in this stretch.
1040
01:09:42,429 --> 01:09:43,639
Get a little bit closer.
1041
01:09:43,848 --> 01:09:45,224
Okay.
1042
01:09:48,435 --> 01:09:50,646
Growing up an illegal immigrant,
1043
01:09:50,855 --> 01:09:52,857
every single day
you live in fear.
1044
01:09:54,275 --> 01:09:57,111
You feel that
your options are limited,
1045
01:09:57,319 --> 01:09:59,446
that there are so many things
stacked against you
1046
01:09:59,655 --> 01:10:01,782
that you can
never outgrow your environment.
1047
01:10:01,991 --> 01:10:05,161
And therefore,
this situation that you're in
1048
01:10:05,369 --> 01:10:06,495
will always remain.
1049
01:10:08,789 --> 01:10:11,584
But because of
our financial status,
1050
01:10:11,792 --> 01:10:13,544
not having a lot of money,
1051
01:10:13,752 --> 01:10:15,512
when my mom would
tell us to go do something,
1052
01:10:15,546 --> 01:10:16,881
it was: "Get the hell outside".
1053
01:10:22,928 --> 01:10:25,264
Doesn't cost anything
to go run around outside,
1054
01:10:25,472 --> 01:10:27,600
to go get lost in the woods,
to climb a tree,
1055
01:10:27,808 --> 01:10:29,268
to go look for animals.
1056
01:10:33,606 --> 01:10:35,316
The natural world saved me.
1057
01:10:39,695 --> 01:10:42,656
So becoming
a wildlife photographer
1058
01:10:42,865 --> 01:10:45,242
and working
with National Geographic
1059
01:10:45,451 --> 01:10:47,286
was my goal in life.
1060
01:10:49,580 --> 01:10:51,832
So Nat Geo's Geoff Daniels here.
Nat Geo, come on up.
1061
01:10:52,041 --> 01:10:55,336
To announce
the Wild to Inspire--
1062
01:10:55,544 --> 01:10:58,380
- Wild to Inspire winner.
- There you go, guys, there you go.
1063
01:10:58,589 --> 01:11:02,843
But the winner for the 2nd annual
Wild to Inspire competition
1064
01:11:03,052 --> 01:11:06,222
is Filipe DeAndrade!
1065
01:11:06,430 --> 01:11:08,474
Up! Filipe, come on up.
1066
01:11:10,017 --> 01:11:11,810
Come up,
Filipe, come on, man.
1067
01:11:12,019 --> 01:11:14,605
Whether it be
through photography, video,
1068
01:11:14,813 --> 01:11:16,482
everything that I do comes back
1069
01:11:16,690 --> 01:11:18,817
to making the world
a better place for animals.
1070
01:11:20,527 --> 01:11:22,696
I have to thank my mom,
because for everything--
1071
01:11:22,905 --> 01:11:25,783
For everything
that we've been through
1072
01:11:25,991 --> 01:11:28,577
as immigrants, abuse,
coming over here,
1073
01:11:28,786 --> 01:11:30,788
struggle, every single thing.
1074
01:11:30,996 --> 01:11:33,791
You fought--- you fought
for what you loved.
1075
01:11:40,381 --> 01:11:42,841
I'm so grateful
that she brought us here,
1076
01:11:44,802 --> 01:11:46,178
and that I get to
travel the world
1077
01:11:46,387 --> 01:11:47,888
and talk about what I love.
1078
01:11:49,682 --> 01:11:52,351
My mom is by far and large
my greatest--
1079
01:11:55,521 --> 01:11:58,023
my greatest example in life.
1080
01:11:59,608 --> 01:12:01,527
When she became a citizen,
1081
01:12:01,735 --> 01:12:03,362
I asked her:
"What do you wanna do?"
1082
01:12:03,570 --> 01:12:05,781
and she said:
"I wanna be a nurse at the VA."
1083
01:12:05,990 --> 01:12:10,911
I wanna take care of veterans
who took care of us,
1084
01:12:11,120 --> 01:12:15,332
"and that is my contribution to the
country that I am now a citizen in."
1085
01:12:15,541 --> 01:12:17,626
And that makes me so damn proud.
1086
01:12:34,977 --> 01:12:36,437
- There it is.
- Wow!
1087
01:12:45,029 --> 01:12:46,071
Wow!
1088
01:12:47,906 --> 01:12:49,575
There are so many.
1089
01:12:51,910 --> 01:12:53,370
- What's up, Stevie?
- How are you?
1090
01:12:53,579 --> 01:12:54,997
Good, man!
1091
01:12:55,205 --> 01:12:56,565
- Nice to meet you.
- Stevie Sauer.
1092
01:12:56,665 --> 01:12:57,916
Yeah, Ben Masters.
1093
01:13:00,627 --> 01:13:03,464
We hadn't like gotten to talk
to anybody on the camera.
1094
01:13:03,672 --> 01:13:05,341
- Alright.
- Alright, can you do that?
1095
01:13:05,549 --> 01:13:07,468
So the only reason
I can do that is 'cause I'm--
1096
01:13:07,676 --> 01:13:10,596
Uh, I told you uh,
I'm with the Union
1097
01:13:10,804 --> 01:13:14,016
of Del Rio Sector. So on behalf
of the Union, I'm talkin' to you.
1098
01:13:14,224 --> 01:13:16,393
I've been in Border Patrol
for nine and a half years.
1099
01:13:17,144 --> 01:13:20,689
I am a Executive Vice President
for Del Rio Sector Union.
1100
01:13:21,690 --> 01:13:23,942
If we put a wall up
from sea to shining sea,
1101
01:13:24,151 --> 01:13:25,694
people are still gonna cross it.
1102
01:13:25,903 --> 01:13:27,103
I've been detailed to Nogales,
1103
01:13:27,237 --> 01:13:29,698
and there's a wall
through downtown Nogales,
1104
01:13:29,907 --> 01:13:32,743
and people cross it,
go over it, go through it.
1105
01:13:32,951 --> 01:13:35,579
There's more damage that's done
to a wall you know,
1106
01:13:35,788 --> 01:13:38,058
with just the will power. People
just trying to get across.
1107
01:13:38,082 --> 01:13:42,294
Do you think it's something
that if it doesn't happen
1108
01:13:42,503 --> 01:13:45,631
in the next three years,
will continue
1109
01:13:45,839 --> 01:13:48,717
to be raised
as a potential solution?
1110
01:13:48,926 --> 01:13:51,011
The wall's always gonna be
a topic of discussion.
1111
01:13:51,220 --> 01:13:52,805
I think
it's always gonna be continued
1112
01:13:53,013 --> 01:13:55,808
to be raised as
a deterrent of guys crossing.
1113
01:13:56,016 --> 01:13:59,478
They're not a solution
to the immigration problems,
1114
01:14:00,437 --> 01:14:02,856
because there is-- there is more
than just a wall to fix it.
1115
01:14:03,065 --> 01:14:05,567
If-- if you've got ants
coming inside your house,
1116
01:14:05,776 --> 01:14:06,920
we've already got walls,
you know.
1117
01:14:06,944 --> 01:14:08,404
They're finding a way to get in.
1118
01:14:08,612 --> 01:14:10,364
So we've got to--
we've got to find out
1119
01:14:10,572 --> 01:14:11,949
the solution and what that is.
1120
01:14:12,157 --> 01:14:14,052
Do you fix it with technology?
Do you fix it with more--
1121
01:14:14,076 --> 01:14:14,827
more boots on the ground?
1122
01:14:15,035 --> 01:14:16,370
Do you--
1123
01:14:16,578 --> 01:14:18,038
In your opinion
w-- what-- what's--
1124
01:14:18,247 --> 01:14:20,833
what's the solution with--
with response time?
1125
01:14:21,041 --> 01:14:22,801
Uh, you can have
all the technology you need,
1126
01:14:22,960 --> 01:14:25,796
but if you don't have anybody
to put handcuffs on anybody
1127
01:14:26,004 --> 01:14:28,124
or to question them as
far as the alien, there isn't--
1128
01:14:29,216 --> 01:14:31,760
The technology is great,
because we detected 'em,
1129
01:14:31,969 --> 01:14:34,430
but we didn't have
anybody to arrest 'em.
1130
01:14:34,638 --> 01:14:38,600
Have you noticed a drop-off
or an increase in people
1131
01:14:38,809 --> 01:14:40,018
coming over to the US?
1132
01:14:40,227 --> 01:14:42,938
The numbers are down,
have decreased. Yeah.
1133
01:14:43,147 --> 01:14:44,427
Significantly or you know like--
1134
01:14:44,606 --> 01:14:45,691
- Significantly.
- Really?
1135
01:15:33,822 --> 01:15:35,407
Just had a little spin out.
1136
01:15:35,616 --> 01:15:36,656
They're showin' off there.
1137
01:15:37,242 --> 01:15:38,242
They definitely...
1138
01:15:39,661 --> 01:15:41,455
made themselves known.
1139
01:15:41,663 --> 01:15:45,000
Absolutely, you can hear
them from a mile away.
1140
01:15:48,045 --> 01:15:49,505
Oh my gosh,
1141
01:15:49,713 --> 01:15:50,923
is that a catfish?
1142
01:15:51,131 --> 01:15:52,211
That's probably like a 40--
1143
01:15:52,382 --> 01:15:54,176
oh my gosh, both of those!
1144
01:15:55,260 --> 01:15:56,887
Hello! How much
do they weigh?
1145
01:15:57,930 --> 01:15:59,097
Eight each!
1146
01:16:00,891 --> 01:16:02,392
Wow! The big one!
1147
01:16:02,601 --> 01:16:03,685
How long have
you been here?
1148
01:16:04,937 --> 01:16:06,063
Just a day!
1149
01:16:06,271 --> 01:16:07,689
Just a day fishing
for those?
1150
01:16:09,024 --> 01:16:12,402
We are bad fishermen.
1151
01:16:16,156 --> 01:16:17,156
Wow!
1152
01:16:19,076 --> 01:16:20,702
This is our work.
1153
01:16:21,787 --> 01:16:24,206
We bring them to the
Piedras Negras fish markets.
1154
01:16:24,998 --> 01:16:27,209
Do you want to eat...
1155
01:16:27,417 --> 01:16:29,127
"fish of the cat"?
1156
01:16:31,171 --> 01:16:32,214
Is that catfish?
1157
01:16:32,422 --> 01:16:33,422
It's about right.
1158
01:16:33,715 --> 01:16:37,719
Is it a kind that you
only have here?
1159
01:16:38,512 --> 01:16:40,847
The whole river.
1160
01:16:41,056 --> 01:16:42,975
But we don't go
fishing over there.
1161
01:16:43,934 --> 01:16:48,230
If they see us over there they'll take
us because they think we're wetbacks.
1162
01:16:48,438 --> 01:16:52,943
And you as Mexicans, what do you
and your friends think of the wall?
1163
01:16:54,069 --> 01:16:55,946
They'll just fly over
it like Superman.
1164
01:16:59,366 --> 01:17:01,094
And have you seen a lot
of people crossing here?
1165
01:17:01,118 --> 01:17:02,703
Yes, tons.
1166
01:17:02,911 --> 01:17:04,162
With drugs.
1167
01:17:06,665 --> 01:17:09,126
But the demand for drugs is
over there in the US, eh?
1168
01:17:10,002 --> 01:17:11,169
They're not going to stop.
1169
01:17:12,546 --> 01:17:15,382
Be very careful when
you get down near Guerrero.
1170
01:17:15,591 --> 01:17:16,776
Yeah, they were telling us that.
1171
01:17:16,800 --> 01:17:18,260
How is it around here? Calm?
1172
01:17:18,468 --> 01:17:21,096
(It's calm here - but the
Zeta's cartel) are down there.
1173
01:17:21,305 --> 01:17:22,806
Are they well armed?
1174
01:17:23,015 --> 01:17:24,015
Yes.
1175
01:17:27,644 --> 01:17:30,022
The narcotraficantes
in Northern Mexico
1176
01:17:30,230 --> 01:17:33,775
are making roughly-- and this is
a conservative number,
1177
01:17:33,984 --> 01:17:38,071
$50 billion.
That's almost the equivalent
1178
01:17:38,280 --> 01:17:41,867
of the entire budget
for the Intelligence Community
1179
01:17:42,075 --> 01:17:43,355
of the United States of America.
1180
01:17:45,829 --> 01:17:50,083
To make $50 billion,
you're not bringing it in
1181
01:17:50,292 --> 01:17:51,877
you know, in a backpack alone.
1182
01:17:52,085 --> 01:17:54,963
You're bringing it in
in significant weights
1183
01:17:55,172 --> 01:17:57,883
and that's happening through um,
our ports of entry.
1184
01:18:00,802 --> 01:18:03,972
All of this is connected,
all of this is correlated.
1185
01:18:04,181 --> 01:18:06,808
If-- if you look at the billions
of dollars that we spend
1186
01:18:07,017 --> 01:18:10,062
on consuming illegal drugs
in this country,
1187
01:18:11,021 --> 01:18:14,650
we can see the connection
between our use of illegal drugs
1188
01:18:14,858 --> 01:18:18,236
uh, the c--
the cartels' bottom line,
1189
01:18:18,445 --> 01:18:20,656
the resources
that they can bring to bear
1190
01:18:20,864 --> 01:18:23,575
on hollowing out
the civil institutions,
1191
01:18:23,784 --> 01:18:26,662
whether that's the courts,
whether that's the-- the press,
1192
01:18:26,870 --> 01:18:28,872
whether that's the--
the police force,
1193
01:18:29,081 --> 01:18:31,166
whether that's their--
their politics.
1194
01:18:32,125 --> 01:18:34,336
Destabilizing that country
to such a degree
1195
01:18:34,544 --> 01:18:36,922
that it's hard
to argue with somebody
1196
01:18:37,130 --> 01:18:39,341
who would seek to leave it
to find a better life
1197
01:18:39,549 --> 01:18:42,719
somewhere else,
ironically here in America,
1198
01:18:42,928 --> 01:18:45,347
the country that is
in part producing um,
1199
01:18:45,555 --> 01:18:47,808
some of the problems with
the consumption of those drugs,
1200
01:18:48,016 --> 01:18:50,727
the flow of cash
and arms back into Mexico.
1201
01:18:59,903 --> 01:19:04,324
So against everybody's advice,
we are paddling into the night,
1202
01:19:06,910 --> 01:19:08,662
which I'm
not too comfortable about
1203
01:19:08,870 --> 01:19:14,668
just because this is a fairly
high drug traffic corridor
1204
01:19:14,876 --> 01:19:16,128
of US-Mexico border.
1205
01:19:18,338 --> 01:19:21,883
But we're trying
to get to a location
1206
01:19:22,092 --> 01:19:23,802
where we
have permission to stay at
1207
01:19:25,011 --> 01:19:26,221
and uh...
1208
01:19:28,849 --> 01:19:30,434
I don't know
where everybody else is.
1209
01:19:36,773 --> 01:19:38,024
Like I don't know if they--
1210
01:19:38,233 --> 01:19:40,902
I don't know
if they took a different
1211
01:19:41,111 --> 01:19:43,363
channel of the river,
1212
01:19:43,572 --> 01:19:45,073
if they're in front of me
1213
01:19:46,199 --> 01:19:47,492
or if they're behind me.
1214
01:19:48,493 --> 01:19:50,162
It's kind of a bad time to...
1215
01:19:51,371 --> 01:19:52,748
...get separated.
1216
01:20:09,139 --> 01:20:13,727
- Hey, Heather.
- - So, that's, that's, so the reason why we called you
1217
01:20:13,935 --> 01:20:16,188
there are some concerns
about this. One, it's dark,
1218
01:20:16,396 --> 01:20:18,023
do we still cross
at the crossing?
1219
01:20:21,234 --> 01:20:22,903
I think there's
people over on that bank.
1220
01:20:24,154 --> 01:20:26,074
It looked like they were
carrying bags and stuff.
1221
01:20:26,198 --> 01:20:27,741
Yeah, when we--
when we looked down,
1222
01:20:27,949 --> 01:20:30,243
we saw--
we saw groups of people.
1223
01:20:30,452 --> 01:20:32,305
- They were even boats.
- - 'Cause we thought it was--
1224
01:20:32,329 --> 01:20:34,169
You thought it was
Ben. I was about to yell out
1225
01:20:34,331 --> 01:20:36,601
and Jay said: "Hold on, don't
say anything." And he was right.
1226
01:20:36,625 --> 01:20:39,753
It was people
over there, definitely not Ben.
1227
01:20:39,961 --> 01:20:44,925
Um, but they were definitely
throwing bags of stuff back.
1228
01:20:45,133 --> 01:20:49,888
Border Patrol and everybody that lives on the
river said: "Don't do the river at night"
1229
01:20:50,096 --> 01:20:51,449
uh, because
that's when most people
1230
01:20:51,473 --> 01:20:53,183
- "are gonna be crossing."
- Like I think
1231
01:20:53,391 --> 01:20:55,268
makin' ourselves
known being here
1232
01:20:55,477 --> 01:20:56,837
- is probably a good thing.
- Yeah.
1233
01:20:56,937 --> 01:20:57,997
I don't think approaching 'em
1234
01:20:58,021 --> 01:20:59,147
is a great idea either.
1235
01:20:59,356 --> 01:21:00,148
But uh, you don't wanna
1236
01:21:00,357 --> 01:21:01,441
like sneak up on them
1237
01:21:01,650 --> 01:21:03,151
- by any means.
- I know.
1238
01:21:03,360 --> 01:21:05,028
That's when you
run into a bad situation.
1239
01:21:05,237 --> 01:21:07,823
Either drug smugglers
or people trying to cross,
1240
01:21:08,031 --> 01:21:09,191
either way you don't wanna...
1241
01:21:10,951 --> 01:21:13,671
be in the middle of that and that's
exactly where we're at right now.
1242
01:21:15,163 --> 01:21:18,291
So you guys are
definitely ahead of us.
1243
01:21:18,500 --> 01:21:20,293
- Okay.
- Uh, and...
1244
01:21:21,545 --> 01:21:25,215
I'm uh-- we're gonna
start going forward towards you
1245
01:21:25,423 --> 01:21:26,800
with our lights on.
1246
01:21:27,008 --> 01:21:28,176
Alright, we're gonna stay put
1247
01:21:28,385 --> 01:21:30,345
and then
we'll decide as a group.
1248
01:21:30,554 --> 01:21:32,389
We'll have
our lights on here as well.
1249
01:21:32,597 --> 01:21:34,349
Uh, you just be careful.
1250
01:21:34,558 --> 01:21:35,934
So there is their lights.
1251
01:21:36,142 --> 01:21:37,462
At least I hope
it's their lights.
1252
01:21:38,520 --> 01:21:39,980
Looks good.
1253
01:21:45,652 --> 01:21:48,238
- So we should get out of here.
- Yeah, we should.
1254
01:21:48,446 --> 01:21:50,240
- Like as soon as possible.
- Yeah.
1255
01:21:50,448 --> 01:21:51,717
And then
getting down and camping
1256
01:21:51,741 --> 01:21:53,535
as soon as we see a camp spot.
1257
01:21:53,743 --> 01:21:56,872
Okay. Do you--
We were just discussing briefly
1258
01:21:57,080 --> 01:22:00,542
like should we like
tell Stevie or Border Patrol
1259
01:22:00,750 --> 01:22:02,878
or just-- just go?
1260
01:22:03,086 --> 01:22:05,088
Yeah, we should call Stevie
and let him know.
1261
01:22:05,297 --> 01:22:07,316
- Okay, yeah.
- Like if something happens to us then--
1262
01:22:07,340 --> 01:22:08,550
Yeah, yeah. No, I--
1263
01:22:08,758 --> 01:22:10,218
Like--
1264
01:22:10,427 --> 01:22:11,427
Deal.
1265
01:22:12,971 --> 01:22:15,181
You got the number?
You want this?
1266
01:22:15,390 --> 01:22:17,475
- Here.
- It's like we stopped.
1267
01:22:17,684 --> 01:22:20,228
If we went around this right
here, we would have seen people.
1268
01:22:20,437 --> 01:22:22,477
I don't like this at all.
And they were right there?
1269
01:22:22,606 --> 01:22:24,709
- Yeah, they were right there.
- And you all just stopped right here?
1270
01:22:24,733 --> 01:22:26,985
- No, I mean-- - Let's get
the fuck out of here, man.
1271
01:22:27,193 --> 01:22:28,713
Didn't know
if you guys were behind us.
1272
01:22:33,658 --> 01:22:36,077
- This-- this is a--
- Alright.
1273
01:22:36,286 --> 01:22:37,370
- Good timing.
- Yeah.
1274
01:22:41,249 --> 01:22:45,170
I have to admit I jumped
to immediate bad conclusion.
1275
01:22:45,378 --> 01:22:47,589
You guys said:
"backpacks and people crossing",
1276
01:22:47,797 --> 01:22:51,384
the first thing that came
to my head was running drugs,
1277
01:22:51,593 --> 01:22:53,678
like the very first thing
that popped into my head.
1278
01:22:55,055 --> 01:22:56,932
And they--
they might have been, but, uh...
1279
01:22:57,140 --> 01:22:58,140
Yeah.
1280
01:22:58,308 --> 01:22:59,308
But we don't know that.
1281
01:23:00,352 --> 01:23:02,020
Well,
it's such a conundrum, because
1282
01:23:03,313 --> 01:23:06,358
like the people
that are crossing, you know,
1283
01:23:08,151 --> 01:23:11,571
under different circumstances
that could have been you.
1284
01:23:11,780 --> 01:23:13,198
Or you.
1285
01:23:15,533 --> 01:23:18,119
Yeah. And that is the predicament.
Like I was sitting there
1286
01:23:18,328 --> 01:23:21,915
and I was like if those
are families or people
1287
01:23:22,123 --> 01:23:24,644
who are trying to make a better life
for themselves, I don't wanna call.
1288
01:23:24,668 --> 01:23:26,962
But if those are drug smugglers,
I do wanna call.
1289
01:23:31,091 --> 01:23:32,467
I talked
to my parents about it
1290
01:23:33,593 --> 01:23:35,073
and told them
I came upon some people,
1291
01:23:35,261 --> 01:23:36,822
and well, they asked me
you know: "what--"
1292
01:23:36,846 --> 01:23:38,606
What were they wearing,
what were they doing,
1293
01:23:38,640 --> 01:23:40,141
"this or that" and--
1294
01:23:40,350 --> 01:23:42,394
And I kinda described
the situation and they--
1295
01:23:42,602 --> 01:23:44,402
And they asked us what we did,
and I was like:
1296
01:23:44,521 --> 01:23:46,064
"Well, we--
we called Border Patrol."
1297
01:23:47,023 --> 01:23:52,362
And they--
they understood, they got it,
1298
01:23:53,613 --> 01:23:56,074
and they said, :
"Oh man, poor people."
1299
01:23:56,282 --> 01:23:57,492
Um.
1300
01:24:03,456 --> 01:24:06,251
They said that was them
30 years ago.
1301
01:24:19,431 --> 01:24:22,142
In Guatemala, they-- they were
making three bucks a day.
1302
01:24:22,350 --> 01:24:23,661
They were living
in a little room,
1303
01:24:23,685 --> 01:24:26,479
them and my older brother,
my dad, he had
1304
01:24:26,688 --> 01:24:33,278
family members and friends who had either
been, you know, harassed, mugged or killed.
1305
01:24:36,489 --> 01:24:37,532
I mean it was genocide.
1306
01:24:41,286 --> 01:24:45,957
My mom, she was very willing
to do whatever she had to do
1307
01:24:46,166 --> 01:24:47,166
to get over here.
1308
01:24:48,334 --> 01:24:50,378
She tried to come over
a couple of times.
1309
01:24:53,214 --> 01:24:54,799
Someone had snitched on her.
1310
01:24:56,509 --> 01:25:00,555
Mom and my older brother
were locked up in Mexico
1311
01:25:00,764 --> 01:25:03,391
when they got caught
by immigration there in Mexico.
1312
01:25:06,519 --> 01:25:10,398
Mom would ask to work
in jail so she--
1313
01:25:10,607 --> 01:25:12,984
So she could get money
and food to feed my brother
1314
01:25:13,193 --> 01:25:14,193
while they're in jail.
1315
01:25:17,197 --> 01:25:20,158
I don't wanna discredit the-- the
crossing of the river, it is significant.
1316
01:25:20,867 --> 01:25:25,705
But my parents had-- My,
my family felt that fear the entire time.
1317
01:25:25,914 --> 01:25:27,554
And it was--
and they still thought they--
1318
01:25:27,624 --> 01:25:29,417
that fear years after crossing.
1319
01:25:41,763 --> 01:25:45,350
When I was first born,
it was probably uh, 15 of us
1320
01:25:45,558 --> 01:25:46,768
in one house.
1321
01:25:46,976 --> 01:25:47,976
It was tough.
1322
01:25:50,230 --> 01:25:52,524
My parents, they heard
this radio announcement
1323
01:25:52,732 --> 01:25:56,528
about, um people helping
illegal immigrants
1324
01:25:56,736 --> 01:25:57,736
get their residency,
1325
01:25:57,904 --> 01:25:59,697
but they
have to report themselves
1326
01:25:59,906 --> 01:26:02,242
and state
that they're there illegally.
1327
01:26:08,790 --> 01:26:11,459
My mom,
she began crying immediately
1328
01:26:11,668 --> 01:26:14,295
and they're like: "We're--
we need to deport you now."
1329
01:26:35,900 --> 01:26:38,653
In my parents' eyes,
1330
01:26:38,862 --> 01:26:40,280
the American dream were
1331
01:26:40,488 --> 01:26:41,781
to send three kids to college
1332
01:26:43,783 --> 01:26:47,579
and have enough to make a living
and-- and be satisfied,
1333
01:26:49,289 --> 01:26:50,748
and they've exceeded that.
1334
01:26:54,919 --> 01:26:57,547
I am no longer embarrassed
of who I am, where I come from.
1335
01:26:59,299 --> 01:27:01,134
I'm very proud of my parents.
1336
01:27:01,342 --> 01:27:02,342
Very proud.
1337
01:27:03,761 --> 01:27:06,848
And hopefully uh, one day
I can pay 'em back.
1338
01:27:19,652 --> 01:27:21,112
Today is a big day.
1339
01:27:21,321 --> 01:27:25,116
We are switching
from canoes to bicycles,
1340
01:27:25,325 --> 01:27:28,578
because we're now in an area
where there is a wall,
1341
01:27:28,786 --> 01:27:31,623
but the wall is so far away
from the river
1342
01:27:31,831 --> 01:27:34,542
that you can't even see it
from the river in some spots.
1343
01:27:34,751 --> 01:27:35,877
Let's ride.
1344
01:27:36,085 --> 01:27:37,295
Let's ride.
1345
01:27:39,505 --> 01:27:44,427
Ben Masters is
a determined, dedicated,
1346
01:27:45,637 --> 01:27:47,847
uncoordinated son of a gun.
1347
01:27:48,056 --> 01:27:50,850
He is so great
for so many reasons,
1348
01:27:51,059 --> 01:27:52,518
but coordination
is not one of them.
1349
01:27:53,811 --> 01:27:55,563
And to see him on the bicycle,
1350
01:27:55,772 --> 01:27:57,774
after paddling
and being on a horseback,
1351
01:27:57,982 --> 01:28:02,362
is uh, one of my
greatest joys in life now.
1352
01:28:02,570 --> 01:28:04,405
He is...
1353
01:28:04,614 --> 01:28:06,616
so bad on a bicycle.
1354
01:28:07,575 --> 01:28:08,868
But dang it, he's doin' it.
1355
01:28:11,663 --> 01:28:14,916
The Lower Rio Grande Valley
has the most illegal crossings
1356
01:28:15,124 --> 01:28:17,585
and drug traffic
along the US-Mexico border.
1357
01:28:21,464 --> 01:28:23,549
It already has
some existing border wall
1358
01:28:23,758 --> 01:28:26,302
and is priority
for future wall construction.
1359
01:28:28,596 --> 01:28:30,807
The Rio Grande here
twists and turns,
1360
01:28:31,015 --> 01:28:33,893
but the border wall
will be built on straight lines,
1361
01:28:34,102 --> 01:28:36,437
on levees and irrigation canals,
1362
01:28:36,646 --> 01:28:38,314
sometimes miles from the border.
1363
01:28:39,774 --> 01:28:42,235
Effectively stranding
American land
1364
01:28:42,443 --> 01:28:43,903
between the river and the wall.
1365
01:28:45,697 --> 01:28:48,825
- Are you all doing dry land or
uh, irrigation? - All irrigated.
1366
01:28:49,033 --> 01:28:52,912
All-- all irrigated, all the water
coming out of the Rio Grande River.
1367
01:28:53,121 --> 01:28:56,666
Our river pumps are on the banks
of the Rio Grande river.
1368
01:28:56,874 --> 01:28:59,335
We will have to go
through the wall,
1369
01:28:59,544 --> 01:29:00,837
to get to our pumps,
1370
01:29:01,045 --> 01:29:04,465
which is the lifeblood
of the irrigated farms.
1371
01:29:04,674 --> 01:29:08,761
The concern is we're giving up
a tremendous amount of-- of
1372
01:29:09,721 --> 01:29:12,682
an area that--
that is some of the most
1373
01:29:12,890 --> 01:29:15,310
productive farmland
in the world.
1374
01:29:15,518 --> 01:29:17,812
Uh, alluvial soils
from the Rio Grande river
1375
01:29:18,021 --> 01:29:20,982
with a 365-day growing period.
1376
01:29:21,190 --> 01:29:24,777
So, there's
a lot of impact south
1377
01:29:24,986 --> 01:29:27,322
of where they're going
to place the wall.
1378
01:29:27,530 --> 01:29:33,494
Where is the border? Is the border on
the river, or is the border at the wall?
1379
01:29:34,620 --> 01:29:37,040
Because there's three quarters
of a mile difference.
1380
01:29:39,000 --> 01:29:42,253
I don't want it to be just
a one-time photo op,
1381
01:29:42,462 --> 01:29:45,506
and then my uh, kids,
and grandkids,
1382
01:29:45,715 --> 01:29:47,717
and future generations
have to live
1383
01:29:47,925 --> 01:29:50,261
with their farm
being cut in half.
1384
01:29:50,470 --> 01:29:53,681
Once the wall goes up,
that's it.
1385
01:29:53,890 --> 01:29:56,559
You can't redo it,
you can't undo it.
1386
01:29:56,768 --> 01:29:59,729
And I think it's easy
for people in Washington DC
1387
01:29:59,937 --> 01:30:03,691
to make decisions
without having some input
1388
01:30:03,900 --> 01:30:05,943
from the people
who actually live here.
1389
01:30:06,152 --> 01:30:07,862
There's just something
1390
01:30:08,071 --> 01:30:09,697
kind of
un-American about it to me,
1391
01:30:09,906 --> 01:30:12,116
and it's all part
of the United States.
1392
01:30:14,494 --> 01:30:16,496
When they talk
about Homeland Security,
1393
01:30:16,704 --> 01:30:17,872
we're part of the Homeland.
1394
01:30:19,040 --> 01:30:23,294
The wall will be
on this side of the river road--
1395
01:30:23,503 --> 01:30:25,046
of the levee road.
1396
01:30:25,254 --> 01:30:27,548
Uh, and will be a vertical wall
1397
01:30:27,757 --> 01:30:32,428
where they will peel off
this side of the-- of the levee
1398
01:30:32,637 --> 01:30:35,556
and build
a vertical concrete wall.
1399
01:30:35,765 --> 01:30:37,892
For us, it's 350 acres,
1400
01:30:38,101 --> 01:30:42,730
for Steve's family,
it's 500 acres,
1401
01:30:42,939 --> 01:30:45,483
for Santana, it's 2,000 acres.
1402
01:30:45,691 --> 01:30:48,069
So just within the stretch
of a couple of miles,
1403
01:30:48,277 --> 01:30:51,572
you've got almost
3,000 acres of land
1404
01:30:51,781 --> 01:30:54,075
that is going to
be ceded to Mexico
1405
01:30:54,283 --> 01:30:57,787
um, because it's gonna be
south of the wall.
1406
01:30:57,995 --> 01:31:00,706
We're not gonna control the area
south of the wall anymore.
1407
01:31:36,868 --> 01:31:39,495
It's kind of crazy down here,
1408
01:31:39,704 --> 01:31:44,083
getting estimates
of the number of individuals,
1409
01:31:45,251 --> 01:31:48,629
'cause you have
these huge flocks flying over
1410
01:31:48,838 --> 01:31:51,966
and swarms of swallows.
1411
01:31:53,176 --> 01:31:57,763
Trying to estimate how many
individuals you're seeing
1412
01:31:57,972 --> 01:31:58,972
is crazy.
1413
01:32:01,934 --> 01:32:06,689
In my bird surveys
along the entire Rio Grande,
1414
01:32:08,107 --> 01:32:11,903
I detected over 150 species.
1415
01:32:13,779 --> 01:32:16,073
There's such a huge diversity.
1416
01:32:19,660 --> 01:32:21,996
The bird community
in the Rio Grande Valley
1417
01:32:22,205 --> 01:32:23,748
is like completely different.
1418
01:32:25,166 --> 01:32:26,792
Many of these are species
1419
01:32:27,001 --> 01:32:30,004
that you wouldn't see
anywhere else in the US.
1420
01:32:32,673 --> 01:32:35,176
It's the biggest
birding destination
1421
01:32:35,384 --> 01:32:36,384
in the country.
1422
01:32:38,137 --> 01:32:39,889
If you just woke up here,
1423
01:32:41,182 --> 01:32:42,600
just listen to it,
1424
01:32:43,601 --> 01:32:46,521
you would think
you're in the tropics.
1425
01:32:46,729 --> 01:32:48,898
That's a golden-fronted calling.
1426
01:32:51,984 --> 01:32:53,819
The Rio Grande Valley is
1427
01:32:54,028 --> 01:32:56,989
one of the most
critical habitats
1428
01:32:57,198 --> 01:33:01,619
for birds, butterflies,
and bats in North America.
1429
01:33:03,120 --> 01:33:07,583
This subtropical habitat
that is really nowhere else
1430
01:33:07,792 --> 01:33:09,252
in the United States.
1431
01:33:12,838 --> 01:33:16,926
The Rio Grande Valley is
along different migratory routes
1432
01:33:17,134 --> 01:33:19,679
for birds, butterflies and bats.
1433
01:33:21,055 --> 01:33:23,724
There's this huge collaboration
1434
01:33:23,933 --> 01:33:27,061
between public
and private organizations,
1435
01:33:27,270 --> 01:33:32,024
and they've linked
this string of pearls,
1436
01:33:32,233 --> 01:33:35,903
this native habitat
along the Rio Grande
1437
01:33:36,112 --> 01:33:39,865
to preserve this area
for native species.
1438
01:33:43,369 --> 01:33:47,498
The border wall
would be built along the levee
1439
01:33:47,707 --> 01:33:49,625
with an enforcement zone.
1440
01:33:51,377 --> 01:33:55,006
In this region,
where there's only 5%
1441
01:33:55,214 --> 01:33:57,967
of remaining native habitat,
1442
01:33:58,175 --> 01:34:01,637
this enforcement zone
would be bulldozing
1443
01:34:01,846 --> 01:34:05,308
a-- a sizable portion
of what's left.
1444
01:34:07,018 --> 01:34:09,770
In a flood situation
1445
01:34:09,979 --> 01:34:13,190
terrestrial animals could
get caught up in floodwaters.
1446
01:34:14,400 --> 01:34:18,529
Having the border wall,
species like the Texas tortoise
1447
01:34:18,738 --> 01:34:22,533
and ocelots could die
in these rising flood waters,
1448
01:34:22,742 --> 01:34:25,369
because there wouldn't be
any way for them to escape.
1449
01:34:29,832 --> 01:34:32,126
This could become a death trap.
1450
01:34:34,337 --> 01:34:36,756
It occurred to me
along the journey
1451
01:34:36,964 --> 01:34:40,092
that in--
in some of these areas,
1452
01:34:40,301 --> 01:34:43,929
there may have never been
a formal bird survey
1453
01:34:44,138 --> 01:34:48,976
and there may
never be another one done
1454
01:34:49,185 --> 01:34:51,812
before it's changed forever.
1455
01:34:53,439 --> 01:34:59,862
I felt honored and--
to see the area before that,
1456
01:35:00,946 --> 01:35:05,910
but also saddened by the fact
that it may soon change.
1457
01:35:12,833 --> 01:35:15,252
I think when people
use that term "build a wall",
1458
01:35:15,461 --> 01:35:20,132
there are some that do believe
it needs to be a structure.
1459
01:35:20,341 --> 01:35:24,595
Um, I do believe there's others
that wanna see what--
1460
01:35:24,804 --> 01:35:27,682
what I would term "operational
control of our border".
1461
01:35:27,890 --> 01:35:30,010
We should be able to know
what's coming back and forth
1462
01:35:30,059 --> 01:35:31,059
across our border.
1463
01:35:31,102 --> 01:35:33,229
Nobody disagrees with that.
1464
01:35:33,437 --> 01:35:35,690
And since our
technology is so cheap now,
1465
01:35:35,898 --> 01:35:37,650
it's basically disposable.
1466
01:35:37,858 --> 01:35:39,538
And that technology
can tell the difference
1467
01:35:39,568 --> 01:35:43,114
between a jackrabbit and a
person coming across the border.
1468
01:35:43,322 --> 01:35:45,241
And if that sensor
gets triggered,
1469
01:35:45,449 --> 01:35:48,169
you can deploy men and women.
The Border Patrol will do the one thing
1470
01:35:48,244 --> 01:35:50,621
that only they can do,
interdiction, stopping this.
1471
01:35:50,830 --> 01:35:52,039
We can do that today
1472
01:35:52,248 --> 01:35:55,084
and that is
not the kind of technology
1473
01:35:55,292 --> 01:35:58,337
that we are giving our men
and women in Border Patrol
1474
01:35:58,546 --> 01:36:00,881
to do their job
about keeping us safe
1475
01:36:01,090 --> 01:36:02,383
and-- and securing our border.
1476
01:36:02,591 --> 01:36:04,677
And again,
it's a fraction of the cost
1477
01:36:04,885 --> 01:36:07,221
of uh, building a--
a concrete structure
1478
01:36:07,430 --> 01:36:10,266
that you can go over or--
or dig under.
1479
01:36:11,350 --> 01:36:13,853
For me, the--
the answer is not gonna be walls
1480
01:36:14,061 --> 01:36:15,288
or fences or physical barriers,
1481
01:36:15,312 --> 01:36:17,398
it is gonna be ensuring
1482
01:36:17,606 --> 01:36:20,151
that our immigration laws
match our reality,
1483
01:36:20,359 --> 01:36:23,279
uh, what our true needs are
in this country,
1484
01:36:23,487 --> 01:36:24,905
what our values are,
1485
01:36:25,114 --> 01:36:28,784
and, um, do so in keeping
with the best traditions
1486
01:36:28,993 --> 01:36:30,119
of Texas and this country.
1487
01:36:30,327 --> 01:36:31,829
Bipartisanship has become
1488
01:36:32,037 --> 01:36:34,165
a rare sight in Washington,
but on Tuesday,
1489
01:36:34,373 --> 01:36:37,251
Mother Nature brought
two Texas lawmakers together.
1490
01:36:37,460 --> 01:36:40,755
Their flights back to DC were
cancelled, because of the snow.
1491
01:36:40,963 --> 01:36:43,299
So representatives
Will Hurd and Beto O'Rourke
1492
01:36:43,507 --> 01:36:46,343
decided to take to the road
to get back to work
1493
01:36:46,552 --> 01:36:49,722
and talked policy and
personal matters along the way.
1494
01:36:49,930 --> 01:36:53,350
And what I have found
is that working with Republicans
1495
01:36:53,559 --> 01:36:56,771
um, being able
to not allow the perfect
1496
01:36:56,979 --> 01:36:58,272
to become the enemy of the good
1497
01:36:58,481 --> 01:37:03,194
um, and uh, just focus
on making things better
1498
01:37:03,402 --> 01:37:04,945
um, you can make some progress.
1499
01:37:05,154 --> 01:37:08,324
And we can also disagree
without being disagreeable.
1500
01:37:08,532 --> 01:37:11,952
The competition of ideas is what
has made this country greatest,
1501
01:37:12,161 --> 01:37:14,789
what's made this experiment
called "America" work.
1502
01:37:14,997 --> 01:37:18,417
And way more unites us
than divides us.
1503
01:37:18,626 --> 01:37:20,753
Uh, then we can get a bigger--
a bigger car next time
1504
01:37:20,961 --> 01:37:22,063
and bring a few more people.
1505
01:37:22,087 --> 01:37:24,423
The rhetoric around all of this
1506
01:37:24,632 --> 01:37:29,470
that is uh, something that um,
we can't let continue to happen.
1507
01:37:29,678 --> 01:37:32,723
When people in Mexico
hear our president denigrate
1508
01:37:32,932 --> 01:37:35,434
that country, vilify Mexicans,
1509
01:37:35,643 --> 01:37:38,979
refer to Mexican immigrants
as rapists and criminals,
1510
01:37:39,188 --> 01:37:41,315
promise to build
a 2,000-mile wall
1511
01:37:41,524 --> 01:37:43,150
that will cost $30 billion
1512
01:37:43,359 --> 01:37:46,111
and say that Mexico
is gonna have to pay for it
1513
01:37:46,320 --> 01:37:49,448
um, Mexicans remind themselves
that they have
1514
01:37:49,657 --> 01:37:52,076
other potential partners
around the globe.
1515
01:37:57,957 --> 01:38:00,251
They are
deepening trade relationships
1516
01:38:00,459 --> 01:38:03,963
with others at our expense.
1517
01:38:04,171 --> 01:38:06,924
The rhetoric will come
at a cost to our country.
1518
01:38:07,132 --> 01:38:10,344
And we have to improve um,
our understanding
1519
01:38:10,553 --> 01:38:13,430
of an area
that so many people talk about,
1520
01:38:13,639 --> 01:38:16,475
but many people have never been
and don't understand.
1521
01:38:19,144 --> 01:38:21,939
But you just sit there
and you look at it,
1522
01:38:22,147 --> 01:38:24,817
- go, "Wow, oh my god" you know, like...
- These people
1523
01:38:25,025 --> 01:38:26,585
that are Crossing,
how hard can it be?
1524
01:38:26,652 --> 01:38:28,362
- It looks scalable.
- Oh yeah.
1525
01:38:28,571 --> 01:38:30,531
I mean it's-- it's America.
1526
01:38:30,739 --> 01:38:32,408
Especially
with the wide-angle lens on,
1527
01:38:32,616 --> 01:38:34,869
it looks even
that much more intimidating.
1528
01:38:35,077 --> 01:38:36,495
You got to do it with a fish eye.
1529
01:38:38,163 --> 01:38:39,999
I'm just curious now.
1530
01:38:40,207 --> 01:38:42,007
I'm just curious,
I just wanna see if it's--
1531
01:38:43,127 --> 01:38:46,255
If you jump on a 747.
1532
01:38:55,055 --> 01:38:57,975
Oh, there's a nice little
cup holder here for you, too.
1533
01:39:08,027 --> 01:39:09,027
That was it?
1534
01:39:16,076 --> 01:39:17,244
Alright, so here is...
1535
01:39:18,787 --> 01:39:19,787
the wall.
1536
01:39:21,373 --> 01:39:24,460
There is Mexico,
there is the US,
1537
01:39:24,668 --> 01:39:25,920
there is me!
1538
01:39:26,128 --> 01:39:27,212
There is the wall,
1539
01:39:27,421 --> 01:39:28,941
there is
Border Patrol in the distance.
1540
01:39:30,174 --> 01:39:33,218
Not too uh-- not too difficult.
1541
01:39:47,274 --> 01:39:49,193
Seeing people cross,
1542
01:39:51,445 --> 01:39:53,322
we were afraid
1543
01:39:54,365 --> 01:39:56,617
and alarmed
1544
01:39:56,825 --> 01:40:00,245
and unsure of the situation.
1545
01:40:02,081 --> 01:40:06,460
And to realize that Those people
were also alarmed
1546
01:40:06,669 --> 01:40:08,337
and afraid
1547
01:40:08,545 --> 01:40:10,005
and unsure of the situation.
1548
01:40:13,300 --> 01:40:16,303
And we felt that feeling
for such a small instant
1549
01:40:16,512 --> 01:40:18,347
when we saw those groups
of people crossing.
1550
01:40:20,015 --> 01:40:23,185
And it was-- it was--
it was stressful, it was tiring,
1551
01:40:23,394 --> 01:40:26,563
and to feel that for years,
and years, and years
1552
01:40:27,648 --> 01:40:29,358
made me realize...
1553
01:40:31,068 --> 01:40:35,072
that there is a bigger issue than
the actual crossing into the country.
1554
01:40:39,410 --> 01:40:43,080
If you think that
someone who's desperate enough
1555
01:40:43,288 --> 01:40:45,165
to move from
Guatemala to Austin,
1556
01:40:45,374 --> 01:40:47,501
and you think they're just
gonna turn right around,
1557
01:40:47,710 --> 01:40:49,350
because they see a wall
in front of 'em...
1558
01:40:51,255 --> 01:40:52,423
That's absurd.
1559
01:40:54,466 --> 01:40:56,552
That wanting a better life,
1560
01:40:58,220 --> 01:41:00,305
that's the issue that
needs to be approached.
1561
01:41:17,281 --> 01:41:18,721
Preemptive wooh,
we're not there yet.
1562
01:41:18,907 --> 01:41:21,577
Preemptive.
Don't let go the boat just yet.
1563
01:41:21,785 --> 01:41:23,537
White pelicans!
1564
01:41:24,788 --> 01:41:26,457
Skimmers, black skimmers!
1565
01:41:27,791 --> 01:41:29,752
Skimmers, skimmers!
1566
01:41:34,256 --> 01:41:35,799
Done with this guy.
1567
01:41:38,135 --> 01:41:39,386
It's bittersweet.
1568
01:41:39,595 --> 01:41:42,347
We become pretty close.
1569
01:41:42,556 --> 01:41:45,184
It's-- I think
it's gonna be like surreal
1570
01:41:45,392 --> 01:41:47,269
to finally see the Gulf
and at the same time
1571
01:41:47,478 --> 01:41:50,481
like have a mix of emotions that
like, this is-- this is ending.
1572
01:41:50,689 --> 01:41:52,149
I'm gonna miss you guys.
1573
01:41:52,357 --> 01:41:54,401
Yeah.
1574
01:41:54,610 --> 01:41:55,652
I'll miss you too, Ben.
1575
01:42:19,510 --> 01:42:21,345
I thought that the border
1576
01:42:21,553 --> 01:42:24,306
was just this
desolate no-man's land.
1577
01:42:28,727 --> 01:42:30,437
But when I actually
came out here,
1578
01:42:30,646 --> 01:42:33,607
I despised the idea
of a physical wall
1579
01:42:33,816 --> 01:42:35,776
and the reason
that I started to hate it
1580
01:42:35,984 --> 01:42:39,696
is because this land,
this country is damn beautiful.
1581
01:42:45,494 --> 01:42:47,329
So tragic thinking
about a border wall
1582
01:42:47,538 --> 01:42:50,749
cutting through some
of the last remaining habitat
1583
01:42:50,958 --> 01:42:51,958
of this type...
1584
01:42:54,920 --> 01:43:00,175
that may be completely
ineffective and unnecessary.
1585
01:43:02,344 --> 01:43:06,765
I don't think any of us
are ignorant to the challenges
1586
01:43:06,974 --> 01:43:10,060
um, in terms of immigration
and drug passing.
1587
01:43:10,269 --> 01:43:13,522
I think it's just the fact that
like what we learned so far,
1588
01:43:13,730 --> 01:43:17,067
this structure
that could be so destructive
1589
01:43:17,276 --> 01:43:19,611
to the environment
and the private property rights
1590
01:43:19,820 --> 01:43:21,655
and access to water,
1591
01:43:22,614 --> 01:43:26,577
that that destructive potential
quote, on-quote "solution"
1592
01:43:26,785 --> 01:43:27,911
is not a solution.
1593
01:43:35,252 --> 01:43:36,295
It's a distraction,
1594
01:43:37,337 --> 01:43:40,257
a distraction that ignores
the root problems.
1595
01:43:43,927 --> 01:43:48,182
I feel honored to have seen
and documented the Rio Grande
1596
01:43:48,390 --> 01:43:50,559
before it's
potentially changed forever.
1597
01:43:54,980 --> 01:43:57,191
But it makes me so sad
1598
01:43:57,399 --> 01:44:01,862
to think that a political symbol
and a king of pain promise
1599
01:44:02,070 --> 01:44:04,406
could destroy
this beautiful landscape
1600
01:44:04,615 --> 01:44:05,782
that I've grown to love.
1601
01:44:08,994 --> 01:44:10,954
But I'm hopeful
for a silver lining
1602
01:44:12,456 --> 01:44:14,291
that all the attention
on the border
1603
01:44:14,499 --> 01:44:18,295
could lead to realistic
immigration reform,
1604
01:44:18,503 --> 01:44:21,632
a more sensible way
to approach border security,
1605
01:44:23,258 --> 01:44:26,386
and that the landscapes
of the mighty Rio Grande
1606
01:44:26,595 --> 01:44:30,307
finally get the respect and the
protection that they deserve.
1607
01:44:45,697 --> 01:44:47,908
I've been thinking about
this for almost a year
1608
01:44:48,116 --> 01:44:49,576
and I cannot believe
1609
01:44:49,785 --> 01:44:51,785
that we are almost
in the Gulf of Mexico right now.
1610
01:45:47,092 --> 01:45:49,303
Every once in a while
it just hits me that
1611
01:45:49,511 --> 01:45:54,891
the photos' and the videos
that were taken here might be
1612
01:45:55,100 --> 01:45:58,395
some of the last
1613
01:45:58,603 --> 01:46:00,522
of the Rio Grande
1614
01:46:00,731 --> 01:46:02,441
before the wall is constructed.
1615
01:46:06,528 --> 01:46:08,048
It's just a crazy thing
to think about.