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Ashley (Abbie Cornish) is a twentysomething mother still reeling from losing her son to social services when a surprise visit from her truck-driver father presents an opportunity to make some quick cash as a coyote. Having recently lost her job at a big-box store in Austin, she quietly begins smuggling Mexicans over the border in the hope of staying afloat financially. Then, one night, she encounters a young girl whose mother vanished while crossing a river. Determined not to get involved, Ashley tries in vain to keep a distance from the girl, but eventually she finds her conscience stirred by the innocent child's plight. Over the next few days, she joins the frightened girl in an attempt to locate her missing mother. In time, Ashley discovers her untapped maternal instincts and gradually learns to take control of her own fate.