Amid buzz about ICE deportations, a new film spotlights migrants

By Evan Dawson,

Megan Mack, Julie Williams

Published January 28, 2025 at 4:08 PM EST

Three people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left has short grey hair and is wearing glasses, a white turtleneck, and a black sweater; a man at center has short grey hair and is wearing glasses, a blue button-down shirt, and black t-shirt; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a blue and white plaid button-down shirt.

1 of 2 — Heidi Ostertag and Robert Bilheimer on "Connections"

Heidi Ostertag and Robert Bilheimer on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, January 28, 2025

David Griffin / WXXI News

A smiling man with dark hair and a grey goatee stands in front of pink and red flowers

2 of 2 — Michael DeBruhl.jpg

Michael DeBruhl

Provided

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

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