[suspeeful mus] [ausn] i'm aittle nes... thinkin'bout my pentsstory. it'lbe the fst time would-- d been othat sectn of riorande

where myarents cssed... in my li. first me ever. and think it gonna conne everhing reay, really wl for me [austin]'ve been uhriver-guing here on e rio grde fothe pastix-ish years. i want pple to kw at's outere. i wa the lovto be shed. is is wilderness as wild it gets bupeople don't li hearing tha ople lik heing aboua wall. rath than taing abouputting a fence why dot we worout someecognion

our mutual oblems-- maket possib fothem to come he legall with a wk permit anopen theorder bo ways. are natn of immrants, but we a also a tion of w. [bill clton] thas y our ministraon has moveaggressily to sece our boers re. ours' is nation immigras, wee also aation ofaw. [george bush] w ha a respoibility to sure our rders. present bush heigned a ll today authoring the nstructi a fence ong thborderith meco. this fen woulbe 700 miles lg. [upbt music] [baracobama] ihink t ameran peopl they apeciate and beeve in immigtion. but th can't he a situatiowhere yojust hav ha a milli people pourg overhe border withouany ki of chanisto contr it.

completehe dangefence. it'll rk this me. [hilary clinto look, i voted , numero times when i w a senat spend mey to bui a barri tory to prent um, illel immigrts fromoming in [dond trump]n day one, will ben workin onn impetrable, physic, tall, porful, beauful southernorder wa. [alause ancheering [ueat musi rowd chaing] ild thatall! build at wall! ild thatall! builthat wal bud that wl! ild th wall! [dald trum build tt wall! build th wall!

[b] this wle idea got arted a w monthsgo. i waworkin' fosome wilife biolists ouin west xas. and th were deribing toe how a ysical wl wod have so really rious imct to a lotf wildlife species alg the rigrande. anit was sething tt-- th i ner reallyhoughtbout, the tual physal entitof a wal ani guess just wand to-- to arn morebout it.

[jay] umuh-- aughing] en] on aourney le this, u're onlas good as the tm that y have. and th group iamazing. [atin] like thaand messhis up. [ben] soou-- withorses, u dot have treplace dals. auin alvaro is aiver gui. he kno the riv in westexas like theack of h hand. ather an orniologist. shstudies rds and buttflies alonthe rio, and heknowlee of justhe biodirsity atarge is gon be real importa r the tr. , one send. yeah en] fili deandra, an incdible fi maker. i pected le-- yeah likehe mariai band and greaentourag woohwhat a srt! and it ijust lik "aight, pu up next - to therum truc, wee doing is thg." - ise alrigh [ben] y kleber he rks for xas park and ldlife fndation. coervations his thg.

[ben] e wall igonna be builthrouga lot of places that are very ar andear to hiseart. [chris] she mabe walki by e time y get bac - [jayoh, that not a cool tng. - [cissy] ye. [lauing] [jay] you su i can'tust straher? i caput hein the celback. - no! no, i pua little lmet on r with a [chrissya littleasket inhe frontf your be. yeah, wi goggles - aughter]eah, yea yeah. [chris chuckli] [benlike thithing origined in corado and byhe time hits he, 's tiny,inuscule and th the unid states tas prettyuch all it. so we cat even fat down thuh, the ver righnow, that why we' taking kes ich i'm t that b a fan o but you ow, lookg forwar tohe horrostretch. - [ptographe alright t in the, nice a ght. - [stin] deghted. - hotogrher] alrht, i thk that pbably goit. - alght. - naed it. - yeah. wh's the lt time you rode bike, fipe? - [fipe] me? - yeah. - thisorning. - thisorning.

i justopped f. w i'm hoin' backn again. alright, l's go ke me bad disions. - [b] hell, ah! - [file] let'so with i arrr! [bacround muc] [b] we are embarng on 1,200-me journe fr el paso tohe gulf mexico. [b] ridingicycles where ere isn'enough wer. [ben] tan' my mustgs thugh thbig bend and canong down e rio grde. [b] tryin'o undersnd ere exacy a wallould g anwhat eects it uld have ♪ i dam i'm i♪ waitwait, wa, time o. serious estion. ere is gn' to beoors inhipotentiawall.

are ere goa be doo like this taccess t rio grae? ke you'lhave to t a key or sethingo acc-- no. okay. ay, ok. [atin] wow [filip wait, so were about to eer mexicright no en] no, 're justonna rid on t mexico de of thwall, t on thes. [heatherno-man ze. [heather it wild beg along e wall toave this masve 25-foot barer. it jusfeels soeparate.

[j] while was workg in el paso, ey constcted theall, anthey didt in like2 months from mperspeive, itasn't a al likeh, cry against e constrtion of that fence athe time. but thenince thei-- there ha been pele elect like conessman'rourke o was agnst e constrtion of - a fenc eto] i-- don't think lot of pple the intior of t us undetand that theall will n literal be buil at the bder, at e internatnal bounry line. it'll built welwithin he, it 100 yar. otheplaces is-- it's mile, 2 mileuh, intohe interr and erywheret's gonna lo asgly as ts or uglr. [beto] el paso for the last 20 yearhas been eith the saft, e secondafest orhe ird-safe city inmerica, whh is reay remarkle, becausit is complet ds with e rhetor about e border

[beto]f the 2,0 miles the us-xico borr, i lieve a littlever 600 les have fces, wal, physicalarriers. [bkground sic] [bo] and tt began ter the 2006ecure fencg act, whicrepublicans and mocrats, indung senats obama and clton at t time, voted r, whichssential allowed thbush admistratio and en succeedi admintrations to p up these phical barers d to efftively waive alenvironmtal anlocal stakeholrs' feguards [beto] think pple who ar't from e boer, this mig make a loof senseo them le-- so we hear tre are pblems with mico or iigration or dgs, yeaha-- a big ant fenc with ste and conete that th makes lot of nse.

whenou live re, you, you obously-- yosee it dferently and u feel i- you feelt differently. i ink beina politian d workinum, acss theisle, inost casefor candates, is notewarded all. they are rewaed for extreme snces. i'm ll hurd. i'm e represtative om the 2d congressnal dirict of xas, whh goes fro thfringes ofl pa althe way san antio. i ve 820 mes of thborder. d i spen ni and a hf years an undeover offer inhe cia. i sion the homend secury commite. i' chased d guys all er the wld, i've chad teorists, i've csed nuclea weaps, prolirators. i've t- i'vehase thnarcotracantes. and yolearn th your adversarhas resoces.

th have , the coitment too somethg anthey're-they're- theye-- theye smart. th's why anconversaon um, ouh-- on immigrati or serity s to bin with erationa corol of o border. i wento john mshall hi hool, buin [indiinct] okay, um - i'm tking about when-- wn we werin-- when we in h- yeah. i tooky ring o, - cause obously i wajust supsed to. - no, de you g to-- - at are y doing? - nobut like didn't ow-- nobody ee is weang jewel. [wl] we caget opational corol ofur borde we cannforce o laws to give terrence and a coequence that netive behior. [backgrod chatte [b] just goto the e of t wall fothe firstime. weeed our-- oumen and men the borr patrol know exactly whathe threais, so ty're nothowing up witno infortion about wh's goingn.

and-and so tt's why tting the rightools ismportant and-- ani think-- i thk folks ed to reize th you kno um, at we waa sere the bder, we shoulhave secud our boer by no - t'roll yoall-- yoall stargoing. okay, 're gonna-- we're nna headack. [atin] the is wa-- thers like-- there is canal rht there - weust crosthe cana - [fipe] i'ltake my irt off and ve acros - [jay] i me we coul but uh- - [wl] yeah.or sure, - it'supposed be adventu, right? eather] could jp thugh herewe could just sl right f. [wil this sh is deep [heather you ow, i cat get myike-- yeah! o that's ce. ooh! o! [will]'all didt tell me was col - aughin -[heath] yee-haw, know! [filipe]ettin' t congresan in a b of pick here. here wgo. [filipe]ot it. -ou want the cara or yowant theand? @@ - i'll te your hd. yeah.

[hther] wh? - yeah. - eather] tting thugh. oheah. your govnment sates you. [laughin -i'm su. i t to my xt appointmt onime. aughing] [song the bacround] [atin] wh-hoo-hoo-hoo! - ay laughg] -chee, boys. y, well,o only hing fiveike malfctions. yeah [ben] etty goooatmeal. glad get to t this is hther up? [hther] ye, i'm up okay.

[austin]hy? th we needour expeise. thers all the birds flyin'round. [heaer] such amazing way totart theay. ju you outhere, liening tohe birdsg, kin' evething in anit's lik such gre time toee all kinds ofildlife. [heather i grew up upstatenew york we to colle at corll where studied ology. worked f about fe years as aield biogist. then pursued my mters ithe big nd anfell in ve wi the borr. this tr, m going be doin many rd surve alonthe routas i canit in. intenti is to surv these aas that noby has reallyurveyed rds before see whathe biodersity i

befo a potenal rder walis built en you tnk high birdiversit or just gh biodirsity, you n't thk of a dert. but it'some of t highest vetation dersityand therefore rd diverty, becae yohave all thesdifferent elevatio anyou havehe rio grande goi through thatreates a complely diffent habat. if you'rjust cruin' on b yore gonnahink the's not ythingere. t if youust stop anlike looaround, d listenor a lite bit, yorealizthis pce is ale. uspensef music]

[ben] thrio gran the fourth loest rive in nth ameri. it srts in corado, fls througnew mexi, and comes thus-mexicborder for over,200 mil in texa there e so man ms and dersions that theio grand ru dry bel el paso and r nearly00 miles, there isittle too water. thforgottereach. [plang the hmonica] - [heath] well- [austi leme help u out wi that. we're fued it's hom

[filipe] we start ring oubikes, anthe ride goin' prty well, d then o of nowhe snow justtarts duin' on u [wind bling] [beni'm doina-- ing the es back ive agai [jay] wo these are me big fkes. the tempature isropping. [heaer] the ads are very qckly degding. u can ri for a ltle whil and en the-- the whls just cumulateud. it's sti like springonditioneverywhe. ustin grting]

[ausn] i've ver en scareaway fm-- from getng you kw, down buness andetting idone. [ausn grunti] ustin] b dang, that wasome seris mud. that w class fe mud right ere. [austin unti] some pot, you'reot ridinthe bike e bike iriding y. d uh, yore startg touestiothe procs. [fipe snifes antakes a ep breat [filipe] thishing is eaking hvy. [taking ep breat]

[file] we wa up the nextorning, cide st to du the bik. we left r supporcrew and weontinuedn by foo [filipgrunting ilipe] lerally, my knee what aut going tthe vall or like in' evenartherp d goin' and ovethis? ishat anption? [jay] think oureferenc int is [indistinct].

[jay] wel just he to go arnd and ce back. [filipe]orry, ke running - [file] keep ing. - that'st, yeah. for e first me in th trip, iean we'r only a wk into t trip, t today the fir day at we go a al first hd perspeive of what mebody wld ve to gohrough they we to crosilgally. ey wouldt be doi it on hseback, they wldn't be dog it on canoe, th wouldn' be doingt on bik [filipe]hey'd bealking-- - [b] for the months ce over to thes from bzil when i was aut six yrs old. i s born ithe counyside. rememb traveli the aman d you kn, fe beingarefree in a w. and then we were displaced from a flood.

owing upn rio deaneiro, weere livi in the st norious ghto in thworld very mucat the forefronof drugsand e cartelnd violee. anythingas betr in heryes. welew over here cause myom had aorker vi. d we camover, me andom, my ster. i thinit was myom's inttion to comover her ancreate aew life for and my ster, withoumy dad, becae he wasust a nitmare of human bng. he was rlly abuse and-- anaddictedo drugs, anyou know nothe kindf person at sheanted toaise herids. what don't tnk e expect was tha

he was gng to gerid of all our leg documen. she was ced with a ve difficu decisio goack brazil, and en try a come ba um, another y througimmigratn or jt stay he and fire it ou [fipe] ultately th meant foabout 14ears, wetayed ilgally. there e four anues or tegorieshrough wch one caimmigrate gally in tthe unit states. the fit and thmost mmon is onbased on familreunificion whe prefence igiven the immiate famy member [victori the secd route ishrough empler-basedmmigrati.

the ird is tough the refue or asye proces anthe lastategory thrgh thdiversitvisa lotry. youook at theast 10 o15 years you see levellinout for abou1 millioper year ere is aap to th. lks don'choose to be uncumented when somody says et in li", manyimes the aren't nes. eto] e flow omigratioto the u iseally a nction of o econo. the fution of econies uh, in t america and it'semispher a funcon of umthe kind violencand brutity, civil wa and dea thatou find centralmerica that--hat yohave found ofand on i- in mexo. the's also a mionceptioabout meco.

are at t zero u immiation wi mexo, ich meanit's not a pl or minu right. , most pple willhink tha you knowmost of e legal imgration is cing fromexico. it's not. 's comin fr centralmerica. meco is acally a partner ours in tryin stop illegal migratio beuse theyre deali wi some ofhe simil issues onheir souern bord. [cicas sinng] - [ausn] wow! w, lo at this- [filip itight the, man. - ustin] w! [jay] itade me gso fast. - ustin] i so glad it'savement. [ben] no mud[kissing [austin]'m just nna do ts, 'cse my kns can't nd. [lauing] oft guit music] [b] when tt traile pull in, my art st li filled th joy.

symbolid thend of t bicyc, which isike the eatest ing that haened thufar on t trip. - [dkey aying] -[l laughi] - [indtinct] -hers your hse. - right,et's dit. [b] your hse's me is "dkey dust aughing] i thini'm read for new lifeogether. aughing] right, wll seeou. [laughin [bennow, i'vbeen fortune to woron ranch and do a loof packetrips all ov the amecan west and thenhis is dosaur. [b] my musngs are good, they kw how toide. - 's a beaiful musng. - yeah en] i kn they wod take goocare of erybody, whh is verimportan becae filipe. no ia how toide a hoe.

[filipe] yothink shll let mon? you ve ridinboots. [austin]hat do y need, huh? how do u get on? [ben] st hop o [atin] younow yogot it. aughing] ye, buddy! alght, let go. [austin] l's go. - help me, hp me getff. - okaycome on. alght, holon. alght. w, i'm gna ride n around me o ben! eather] ve been a horse a haful of tes likehe touriy situatn or lika birthday party oromething i'm not rticular concern. i trusben's jument. you kn, whh maybe shoun't. [fipe] let ride! [everybo cheerin

[benthe parthat i wamost excid about s the bibend. g bend rch stateark is 3,000 acr. big bendanch natnal park is00,000cres. combin, it's ts massiv retively uouched hitat. [jayan ancesr of min who s pas and wilife comssioner back in the '30snd '40s, sited th country enhey wereooking at desnating b be nationapark. and was a relavely fams ranche so tt's in h blood like hsees theand and he ss how am gonna pruce ofof thaland. and his mment that t highest d best u for thaland isor publirecreati. wee sittinon the relts of tt lega. it's imptant fore toomplete at circl

and try d protec anrea thate saw prising. that's thrtened right w by theaw. and if i can doomething to sorof prote that lecy, th i feelike tt's importa part of of my lifeight now histng] [benpay atteion, boy histling [ben] cks! easytough, ey, easy. eather] right, go ead now. [ben] ye, this is finite a walke - [b] yeah. [heather carrying lot, ye. 30 mutes in venture de, engaged. en] th area is

somef the gnliest, rockie, nastie terraii've evebeen in. eversingle pce of getation out he has thos and stickers a cactu [heaer] alght. [heath] good, od. [fipe] dud these mtangs are de for t backcoury. fortunaty, ally mustan, ey were l born ithe wild public nds in the arican we. [bacround muc] [b] th grew upn desote rsh landapes likthis. they knohow to wk rough th country they kw how toeander througthe rock d stay ay from t cactus, and w to navate throh cliffs andifficulterrain. it makese proud -- see my nies takcare ofverybodyo well