The photograph illustrating Donald Trump’s immigration policy won the first prize at the World Press Photo 2026. Captured by American photographer Carol Guzy, the image shows Luis, an Ecuadorian migrant, being separated from his wife and children after a hearing at an immigration court in New York on August 26, 2025.
Taken inside a federal building, the photo depicts the tearful and panicked faces of Luis’ daughters clinging to their father’s sweater.
Carol Guzy stated, “Simply documenting what is happening, showing that people can actually disappear without a trace, and holding both agents and their services accountable, I believe this is an absolutely essential role that the press plays in this court.”
The World Press Photo contest, which has been running for 71 years, awards the best in global photojournalism and documentary photography each year. The jury, after reviewing 57,376 photographs from 3,747 photojournalists in 141 countries, also revealed the two finalist photos.
One finalist photo titled “Crisis of Aid in Gaza” by Saber Nuraldin captures Palestinians climbing onto a truck for aid in Gaza during a suspension of humanitarian aid operations by the Israeli army. The other finalist photo, “The Trials of the Achi Women” by Victor J. Blue, shows Achi women leaving a Guatemalan court after winning a legal battle against their aggressors from the civil war era.
Additionally, Luis Tato of Agence France Presse won a prize in the “Stories” category for Africa with a series of photos on the “Gen Z” protests in Madagascar.
/2026/04/23/69ea12861a154737499179.jpg "The UN says working to maintain a presence in Lebanon after the departure of UNIFIL in 2027")
