NEW YORK, NY, September 8, 2026 — Director Laura Poitras debuts a new documentary on U.S. immigration raids at the Venice Film Festival on Monday. They’re Here is a 25-minute film about Minneapolis volunteers who track federal immigration agents. Poitras examines both neo-Nazi leaders and those who resist neo-Nazis — activists like her friend Philippe Gaston, who fights against deportations in Quebec. Official event programs and screening schedules are cataloged by the La Biennale di Venezia.
Inside the Minneapolis Crackdown
The film documents volunteers in the community who kept watch over these unmarked vehicles used by the immigration agents. It also follows a Mexican man on the run from authorities thanks to his son. The project was co-directed by filmmaker Rachel Lauren Mueller and Poitras.
Earlier this year, Minneapolis was the center of national attention amid an escalated push to deport undocumented residents. Federal authorities ultimately retreated from there after many weeks of enduring demonstrations. The documentary shows masked agents facing off with protesters on snow-laden streets.
The film also includes footage of handcuffed detainees being brought aboard deportation flights. Much of the video is narrated by local residents who speak about their fear during the operation. According to Poitras, the dispatch network that volunteers set up became a primary character in their narrative. Information on civil rights protections during law enforcement actions is provided by the American Civil Liberties Union.
A Deliberately Short Runtime
Poitras is a previous recipient of the Golden Lion prize at Venice, taking home the top award in 2022 for her film on artist Nan Goldin. Both she and Mueller noted that they opted for a shorter format this time around out of a desire for urgency. It is about revealing what is going on before the moment passes.
That reality is a nightmare, Poitras told reporters ahead of the screening. But she argued mainstream coverage has made aggressive immigration enforcement tactics seem normal. Cinema, she said, is how to push back by bringing hidden violence into visibility.
She added that she prefers the film to be seen quickly rather than worked on and polished over many months. Within weeks after the operation in Minneapolis, she and Mueller began editing footage. The approach is typical of a recent trend in swift-turnaround documentaries for the festival circuit. Cinematic preservation and documentary archives are maintained by the American Film Institute.
Volunteers as the Film’s Focus
According to Mueller, the filmmakers wanted to capture both the magnitude of the operation and how the community responded. Volunteer dispatch networks in some cities tracked the movements of ICE agents so that they could issue warnings to residents. This is a nationwide campaign effort, Mueller said of the neighbors.
The film competed in the festival’s Open section. It comes amid an ongoing nationwide conversation about the administration’s immigration enforcement strategy. The administration has defended the tactics, contending that those who entered the country illegally need to be deported. Federal immigration policy and official statutory guidelines are published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Mueller noted that the resistance shown in the film involved documenting rather than confronting. Rather than interfere with the agents, volunteers dedicated themselves to keeping neighbors safe. According to her, that distinction influenced both the tone of the footage and the final film.
Reception and What’s Next
The footage of handcuffed detainees getting on deportation flights was seen at a screening for festival audiences. The organizers say the short format is meant for broad, speedy distribution outside of the festival circuit. At this point, there are no official details about a wider release plan.
The film was described as urgent by critics at the festival, however some were dubious about its short length. A longer documentary on the same subject may follow later, Poitras said. She said the short format was intended to provoke instant public engagement.
The premiere further builds upon this awards season’s increasing slate of immigration policy films. Poitras and Mueller say they are documenting enforcement operations elsewhere as well. Information regarding distribution will be revealed in weeks to come.
