Photography is awarded for showing “the human cost of separating families by the US immigration service”
“Separated by ICE”by the veteran photojournalist, 70 years old, won the independent organization’s Photo of the Year award. The announcement was (April 23, 2026).
According to the most prestigious photojournalism awards in the world, the image was recognized by “document, in an impactful way, the human cost of family separation by ICE [Serviço de Imigração e Controle de Aduanas] us United States”.
The photograph is from August 26, 2025, was recorded in New York City and is part of the project “ICE Arrests at New York Court” (“ICE Arrests at New York Courthouse”), published by the North American newspaper.
“Desperate girls cling to their father, Luis, as ICE agents detain him after an immigration hearing. Luis is an Ecuadorian immigrant living in the Bronx. According to his family, he has no criminal record,” the photo caption reads.
The stated that Guzy’s photography captures “the fear, chaos and surreal reality faced by law-abiding families.”
“The images reveal inhumane details – masked officers, a handcuffed young woman and a brutalized mother – highlighting both suffering and family unity. The work exemplifies the crucial role of visual journalism in highlighting the consequences of government actions that might otherwise go unnoticed”said the jurors.
See the 2026 award-winning photo below:
“Separated by ICE”, by Carol Guzy, wins the World Press Photo
