A Texas family has established a tunnel to help a priest bring refugees across the border. Travis Manning, a young boy, has crossed illegally into Mexico to warn a Salvadoran family seeking political asylum about ICE agents they might encounter on their way into the US, on their family's land.

This coming of age story shows how Travis' worldview is expanded when he joins the family on their treacherous journey. They are forced to face mortal danger in their desperate quest for freedom.

Rising on the Road to Freedom also explores immigration from the perspective of an ICE agent. Having faced harrowing adventures protecting the border, Agent Steve Cruz takes it upon himself to aid an illegal immigrant in a unique way. Cruz arrives at a significant understanding about the difficulties of his job and the complexities of the trafficking issue.