Ken Keeler, a lawyer in the small town of Fairview, learns that children from "The Patch", a poor, run-down migrant camp outside of town, will be attending the town's school. Not along afterwards a migrant family called the Ashbys is driving through Fairview when their old junker of a car breaks down in front of the Keeler home. As the Ashby father works on the car, his young son Nathaniel begins talking with Ken's younger son Kenny, and the two strike up a friendship. Meanwhile, a town meeting called to deal with the "problem" of the migrant children attending school in town results in many town residents loudly and heatedly coming out against the idea, fearing that it will negatively affect the town's health and morals.