SYNOPSIS:

When a joyous Quinceañera ends in tragedy as ICE agents raid the celebration and deport his parents, 18-year-old Antonio Carrillo is left reeling from his shattered family. As he struggles with college, exhausting kitchen shifts, and profound loneliness, Antonio finds unexpected healing in music and love. Along the way, he meets Aurora, a girl whose own family was torn apart by immigration, and their bond helps him rediscover his voice. But as Antonio's music begins to make him a local symbol of resilience, he attracts the attention of Charlie, a violent drifter who sees Antonio as a dark mirror of the man he could have been. Twisted by envy, Charlie systematically targets Antonio's found family, seeking to dismantle the world of love and hope that rebuilt him and forcing a final, violent confrontation that will determine Antonio's fate Why My Parents Crossed the Border is a raw, emotionally charged coming-of-age story set in post-election Arizona. It blends political urgency with deep humanity, offering a portrait of grief, healing, and the quiet power of finding one’s voice when everything else has been taken away.