Laura Poitras and Rachel Lauren Mueller detail their new documentary ‘They’re Here,’ exploring the Minneapolis resistance to ICE's paramilitary actions with influences from horror films.
Oscar-winning director Laura Poitras and journalist Rachel Lauren Mueller have announced their new short documentary titled They’re Here, which highlights the Minneapolis resistance to the paramilitary actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The announcement was made on September 8, 2026, via The Hollywood Reporter.
They’re Here chronicles a pivotal moment in Minneapolis, detailing how local residents stood against ICE's occupation following the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti. The film employs a mix of dashcam footage, ground-level filming, and crowdsourced data visualizations to portray the community's resistance and the strategies they employed to combat ICE's forces.
The documentary has a stylistic approach reminiscent of horror and science fiction films, depicting a once-peaceful Midwestern city transforming into a scene of dread. Poitras stated that the use of genre elements serves to emphasize the horror of the real-life situation, aimed at evoking a stronger emotional response from viewers.
Poitras co-directed the documentary alongside Mueller, both of whom contributed their unique perspectives and expertise to the project. They found inspiration in the idea that cinema can convey complex realities differently than conventional news coverage. In an era where violence can become normalized through repeated media exposure, they aimed to offer a fresh narrative through a cinematic lens.
Their collaboration stems from a mutual urgency to document these events, facilitated by existing community connections that allowed for safe filming practices and protection of identities. Mueller's proximity to the unfolding events in Minneapolis positioned her as an essential collaborator, enabling access to critical community groups involved in resistance efforts.
They’re Here is Poitras’s first full-length project since her acclaimed 2022 film, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. This new documentary is screening in the Venice Open – Out of Competition, the festival's nonfiction strand, under the management of Submarine Entertainment for U.S. sales.
By highlighting local resistance to ICE, the film hopes to inspire and activate audiences, encouraging them to engage with similar community efforts. Mueller emphasized the balance the film maintains between depicting the perils of a paramilitary presence in a U.S. city and the resilience of the local community.
The release of They’re Here adds a significant voice to the ongoing discussions surrounding immigration policies and federal overreach. Its unique narrative style aims to challenge mainstream media representations of such issues, potentially mobilizing viewers to advocate for change in their communities and raising awareness about the impact of ICE's actions in America.
As the filmmakers hope, witnessing this resistance could encourage audiences to confront the harsh realities of contemporary society, ultimately serving as a vital addition to the discourse on immigration and community resilience.
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