Out of Reach

"It only would take a small amount of imagination for any of us to put ourselves in these people’s shoes and understand that they’re humans just like us."

America Ferrera

As the fate of some 11 million undocumented immigrants has become the political football of the 2016 campaign, actress America Ferrera heads to Texas, the state with the longest border and home to 1.65 million people living without papers. Ferrera, whose parents and siblings are immigrants from Honduras, understands the challenges faced by the new arrivals to the U.S. fleeing in Central America. In “Out of Reach,” she witnesses the special difficulties for Central American refugees in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where US Border Patrol checkpoints inside the US, many miles from the border, keep undocumented people hemmed-in and place the American dream out of reach.

Watch episodes 3 & 4 to view the full story.

The Issues

Clip: America Ferrera sits down with immigrants in the Rio Grande

Clip: America Ferrera talks immigration reform

Clip: Why birth certificates are denied to some US citizens

Clip: Meet a family in the Rio Grande

Clip: America Ferrera meets with border patrol