♪ oh oh oh jokerman ♪ so swiftly the sun sets in the this is "nightline." tonight, the harrowing image sparking a flash point. the immigrant man and his daughter drown as they try to reach the u.s. >> this felt worse than jail. there are open toilets in the room. there is no soap. >> the immigration battle once again heating up, as the families caught in the middle fight for a new life. plus, deep dive. the reigning champion is back. >> you're facing your fears every day. >> risking everything in pursuit of a new title. and why are celebrities like kim kardashian, the jonas brothers and chrissy teigen

sending messages of love to this woman? but first the "nightline" five.

good evening. thank you for joining us. a little girl, her father embracing, lifeless on the banks of the rio grande.

families separated. politicians on both sides throwing blame. this is today's immigration debate. po for some it's policy. but for the families caught at the border, it's survival. we caution you. some of these images are disturbing. fall where you may in the political debate over immigration, but this image makes undeniable the hard and heart-wrenching human cost. a father and his daughter drowned for a dream at the u.s./mexico border. >> image drawing outrage. >> i can't even look at it. >> you must. >> these children pose no threat to people here in the united states of america, and yet they are locked up. >> the president's actions at the border are a whirlwind of incompetence, leading to pictures like this. >> reporter: today the president was asked what he made of the photos. >> i hate it, and i know it could stop immediately if the democrats change the law. they have to change the laws.

they want to have open borders, and open borders mean crime. >> reporter: this comes at a week where john sanders stunningly resigned as the agency was skewered over the conditions of the facility. >> we have kids laying in their own snot with three-week-old diapers that haven't been changed. >> reporter: immigration was front and center at the first presidential debate. >> immigrants do not diminish america. them are america. >> watching that image of oscar and his daughter is heartbreaking. it should also piss us all off. >> reporter: abc news has learned that oscar tried to claim asylum and enter legally at the brownsville port of entry but was repeatedly turned away. so he swam across the river with his daughter, setting his daughter down when he reached the shore. when he started back for his wife, the girl tried to follow

they were swept away. her arm draped around his neck. this river has killed before. the only difference here, the world could be a witness. for those who do make it and claim asylum, deplorable conditions allegedly await them in overcrowded border shelters. >> this felt worse than jail. >> reporter: dr. dolly siever examined children. seen in these handout images last year. she describes what she saw akin to torture. florescent lights on 24/7. many reported no access to basic sanitation. >> the conditions at these facilities are placing them at increased risk for infection, disease and death. >> reporter: attorney warren benson who interviewed children at a facility in texas detailed

equally dire conditions. children left to care for each other. >> they're sleeping on concrete blocks. there are open toilets in the room. there is no soap. >> reporter: an abc reporter spoke with someone who works at the facility who pushed back on some of those claims. >> he felt that it had been exaggerated. this person told me that he said if three people have lice for example, do you call that an outbreak? he didn't think that the conditions were that deplorable. >> reporter: this morning at a senate hearing, a cbp official denied horrific sanitary conditions at detentions centers. >> does cbp have an obligation to provide toothpaste and soap to children in your custody, yes or no? >> we're providing that in el paso in clint station. >> the news reports say otherwise, but you say you have an obligation to do that. >> we have at the clint station. >> unfortunately, this

administration through its policies, through its unwillingness to provide resources to those working at the border has placed the men and women of customs and border protection in an untenable position. it's unfair to the men and women in the department of homeland security and unfair to those coming to the united states seeking protection of the united states so that they can have a life free of violence and a life of economic opportunity. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: it was for those reasons and more, that ramos says he fled honduras with his son fernando. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: the way to escape that deadly future, he says, was by seeking asylum in the u.s. they made a perilous three-month

jo foot, bus and tra to reach the u.s. border. the risk of getting there unimaginable to many, but what he left behind, he says, was far worse. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: we first met anhel and his son in knmexico. unlike some who have crossed into the u.s. illegally, he says he wanted to do it the right way. the duo presented their case directly to u.s. immigration officials at the nogales port of entry.

after a few days, immigration officials released them at this shelter in tucson, arizona. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: the shelter a brief respite before they are reunited with friends who will serve as their sponsors. their destination? kansas city, missouri, over 40 hours by bus. each stop a reminder they are not alone. surrounded by other families with hope for a future in america. after almost two days of travel, just past midnight, they arrive

to their final destination. [ speaking in foreign language ] months later they are still waiting for their first appearance in immigration court. precious time, he says, filled with thoughts of the future. >> click on our borderline series at abc news.com for continuing immigration coverage. up next, the cliff diving champ is back, but can she once again take the crown? ♪

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dominating a sport all about pushing harder and higher. >> when you're standing up there, it's, you know, it's too high and too dangerous to disrespect the height. and i think fear is a really good thing. >> reporter: this is the red bull cliff diving world series, seven venues, 16 athletes, all risking life and limb for that perfect ten. now the series is back, celebrating 11 years of jaw-dropping action, and now a brand-new stop in beirut, lebanon. >> you want to walk away with that amazing feeling of standing on top of the podium. >> reporter: for last year's competition we headed to the azores. a chain of volcanic islands 1,000 miles west of mainland portugal where green hills give way to jagged cliffs. we just got to the island. we are min

the weather is not great. windy, rainy, unclear if the divers will be able to go off today, but we will be there if they do. look at this. this is the island in the middle of nowhere. it's a rock in the middle of the ocean. that's where these divers will be jumping off of. it is incredibly dramatic. at first glimpse, showing us how high these cliffs really are. reannen and her competition will dive from 90 feet in the air, three times the height of the highest olympic dive. they hit the water at 53 miles per hour. >> it's been a whirlwind over two years for me, walked in as a wildcard my first season and walked out as the world champion. >> reporter: known to friends as ree, she has been diving since she was 9. >> i was a trampolinist. so the transition was quite

easy. it took a while to get used to the height and the fear that you're flooded with when you stand on the end of the platform. >> reporter: what do you feel in the way of fear or doubt before, during and after the dive? >> definitely, for me the worst part is the lead up to the dive. it's the hour before the dive. you're thinking p about it constantly, you wake up and think i have to dive in 20 minutes. >> reporter: the american knows it well. he's coming back from an injury that almost killed his career. after last year's sixth place finish, the azores is david's proving ground. >> it's an incredible location, but environmentally, it's probably one of the toughest we have. >> reporter: unpredictable elements and crashing waves make this stop tricky and potentially dangerous. here athletes dive straight into the roaring ocean, a safety team

waiting in the water in case anything goes wrong. what are they doing to make sure you're safe once you hit the water? >> the first responders, you know, they're right there in the water with you if something does happen, because it is common for a knockout, you know, you take a blow at 80 kilometers an hour to your chin and they're there to catch you, basically. you have an injury, you can't swim out of the water, they're they are to catch you. >> environmentally, you have to deal with waves and wind and rain and cold and hot. the island kind of can get all four seasons in one day. so it's a challenge for sure, but it's also fun. >> reporter: maybe that's fun for david, but for people like me it's petrifying. i'll admit it, i am terrified of heights. but with a little bit of coaxing, i head up to get a diver's perspective. we are 27 meters, air, my legs are jelly, but i

have greg louganis tolouganis ts up. >> i thought they said i was supposed to push you off. >> reporter: no, don't even joke. i'd like to go back. finally, it's competition time. spectators gather in the waters below as each athlete preps for their dive. david attem attempt of the day. >> go through the twist and see it in your head and also do the movements. and then you walk up, and you're trying to stay calm and focussed. then it's ree's turn. the star athlete showing why wo to get a perfect 10. you got a 10. >> yay! i got a 10, i got a 10!

>> reporter: clearly very exciting. why is that such a big deal? >> i've been training since i was 9 years old. to finally get a 10 was kind of a little unbelievable. i didn't really believe it. >> reporter: heading into the final dive, dave is in fifth, he'll be looking for a strong find final to make it to the podium. ree is in first. we'll see if she can hang on. dave is getting ready for his final dive. he's got to leave it all out there. oh! i mean, in my professional opinion, that was fantastic, david. turns out i was right. that dive, one of the most technically difficult in the sport, moving him up to second place. the technical term is a reverse twosomer saults with five twists. you come off somersaulting and twisting at the same time. i do four and a half twists with

a somersault. you end up feet first into the water. >> reporter: ree holding her lead, making it to the top of the winner's podium. are all of you adrenaline junkies? >> if you see me before the dive, i don't look like an adrenaline junky. >> reporter: what do you look like? >> sometimes i look like a baby, a mess. but i think we are. to go through all that stress, fear, aum tll the emotions and walk up and do it again, we must be. that's what i like about this sport. you are facing your fears every day. >> reporter: in that spirit, there's one last dive before we can leave the island. i'm taking a leap of faith of my own, safely and supervised from 30 feet up. nowhere near as impressive as the pros, but plenty high for me. >> yeah!

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annie, we're sending you love, baby. zack brown and the band. ♪ sweet annie ♪ gonna stay with you a while >> and finally tonight, the team of star cheerleaders letting one woman know she's not alone. >> hey, annie. >> hi, annie. >> these celebrities are sending annie mcmahon messages of support. two weeks ago, doctors gave her devastating news. she had only 48 hours to live. so annie, born with cystic fibrosis and a fighting spirit

decided to get up and dance to a taylor swift song, tagging the singer on social media who later gave her a call. since then, her story inspiring other a-listers to drop in and send love and say "hey, annie". >> hey, annie. >> hey, annie. ♪ annie, sending you all my love ♪ >> fight on, annie. that's "nightline." remember our full episodes are on hulu. thanks for the company, america. goodnight.