Editor's note: Some images may be graphic for readers. Viewer discretion advised.
A photo of a family being separated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers following an immigration court hearing in New York City was awarded World Press Photo's "Photo of the Year" on April 23.
The photograph, taken by Carol Guzy for the Miami Herald, was captured inside the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building — one of the few U.S. federal buildings where photographers were granted access — in a "single hallway where Guzy and others showed up, day after day, to document what was happening," according to World Press Photo. The winning photo was selected from a pool of 2026 World Press Photo Contest winners, announced earlier in April.
Titled "Separated by ICE," the image captures the "harrowing moment" when ICE agents detained Luis following an immigration court hearing on Aug. 26, 2025.
Regarding the image, World Press Photo said, "Luis, an Ecuadorian migrant whom his family says has no criminal record, served as the household’s sole provider. His wife Cocha and their three children (aged seven, 13, and 15) were left inconsolable, facing immediate financial hardship and profound emotional trauma."
