He now has papers to legally live in the United States, but he is not yet a citizen.

This is a dream scenario for many people who live in Mexico.

There are lots of ways to get into the United States illegally. Not all people come across the border running or swimming.

Visits to the U.S. Border Patrol office and U.S. ports of entry — the checkpoints where people enter the United States from Mexico across enormous bridges — show many do give up everything to risk illegal travel into the United States. Some get caught. Some go to jail. Others make it to Texas, New Mexico, Utah or somewhere else for a new life.

Manuel A. Anida-Perez didn't make it.

The 36-year-old told officers he was trying to get to Denver to work for his brother. So he "rented" a border crossing card for $500 from one of many fraudulent document vendors near the bridges that separate Juarez and El Paso. To the untrained eye, the document photo looked almost like Anida-Perez, but it didn't fool officers at checkpoints at the port of entry one day recently.

A 49-year-old woman trying to pass off a 16-year-old as her niece didn't make it, either.

It turns out the man with whom she and the girl were traveling had a criminal history. Something caught the eye of customs officers as the three tried to drive into Texas. Officers checked his identification and found he'd been arrested three times for transporting illegal immigrants across the border.

He had $1,800 in his sock.

Officers trying to sort out the situation surmised the teenager had paid the man to take her across the border.

And although the woman had a valid visa to visit the United States, the 16-year-old and the male did not. Officers seized the woman's car and her papers.

"They risk everything," said Chief Victor Jimenez, who supervises the port. "They literally sell the farm to get the American dream, but in a second it's all gone."

About 18,000 to 22,000 people cross legally at this checkpoint every day. Each person comes face to face with an officer, shows documents and answers a few questions.

"What is your citizenship?"

"Do you have anything to declare?"

"What are you bringing with you into the U.S.?"

Officers study each document for several seconds because fraudulent documents look increasingly authentic. About 100 people weekly are busted here.

The work is so concentrated that an officer spends only 30 minutes at a station, then moves to another task.