Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras and co-director Rachel Lauren Mueller premiered their new documentary, *They’re Here*, at the Venice Film Festival, spotlighting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations during a deportation sweep in Minneapolis earlier this year. The 25-minute film chronicles the efforts of local volunteers tracking ICE agents as part of the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement campaign.

President Donald Trump launched a nationwide deportation drive shortly after taking office in January 2025, targeting undocumented immigrants for removal. Trump has consistently defended ICE’s aggressive tactics, emphasizing the need to deport individuals who entered the US illegally. The Minneapolis operation quickly became a focal point of tension, sparking weeks of protests that at times escalated into confrontations between ICE officers and demonstrators. During the unrest, ICE agents shot two US citizens, further fueling community outrage.

Poitras described the situation depicted in the film as a “nightmare,” underscoring that immigrants nationwide are living in fear due to the escalating immigration crackdown. She expressed hope that the documentary would counteract what she sees as normalization of violence by mainstream media coverage, arguing that cinema has the power to expose the human impact of these enforcement actions.

Unlike her previous full-length work, Poitras and Mueller created a shorter film to deliver an immediate and urgent portrayal of the events. Shot primarily through the viewpoint of Minneapolis residents who monitored ICE movements, the film weaves together multiple narratives, including that of a Mexican man evading deportation with assistance from his son. Viewers witness unmarked ICE vehicles patrolling the city, masked officers confronting protesters in snowy conditions, and detainees being transported for deportation flights while handcuffed.

The Minneapolis crackdown prompted significant unrest and resistance, ultimately leading the US administration to scale back the operation after several months. Mueller noted that much of the community’s reaction was centered on documentation and protection rather than direct confrontation, highlighting efforts to keep people safe amid heightened enforcement.

*They’re Here* aims to provide a raw and immediate account of the human toll of immigration raids, reflecting broader national tensions surrounding immigration policy under the current administration.