12:00: Amid buzz about ICE deportations, a new film spotlights migrants
1:00: As DEI is targeted by Trump, practitioners discuss their approach
Our region is awash in reports and rumors about ICE raids and deportations. Award-winning filmmakers Bob Bilheimer and Heidi Ostertag have local ties, and they're releasing their newest documentary. It's called "Running to Stand Still: Migrants Search for Hope in the Promised Land." The film takes viewers to the southern border and explores the desperate efforts of migrants. Our guests discuss the film and the backdrop of the new Trump administration, which is promising millions of deportations in 2025. Our guests:
- Robert Bilheimer, president of Worldwide Documentaries and director of "Running to Stand Still: Migrants Search for Hope in the Promised Land"
- Heidi Ostertag, executive producer for Worldwide Documentaries and "Running to Stand Still: Migrants Search for Hope in the Promised Land"
- Michael DeBruhl, retired border patrol agent and director of a migrant shelter in El Paso, Texas
Then in our second hour, President Trump has signed an executive order dismantling federal DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs and funding. His administration is searching for ways to take DEI apart in corporate and academic settings. The president has called DEI a "scam" and his advisors say it has only caused more division. Our guests have a range of experience in DEI. They discuss how they view DEI in their work and their community. Our guests:
- Chad Anderson, vice president of B.L.O.O.M. ROC
- Jessica Lewis, president and CEO of LáLew Public Relations
- Sim Covington, Jr., Ed.D., chief diversity officer for FLCC
- Bill Moehle, Brighton town supervisor
*Note: Connections is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
