ICE Crackdown Sweeps Up Journalists Covering Immigration Raids

Federal immigration agents have detained, tackled and pepper-sprayed journalists covering protests against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement, according to a Guardian investigation published Monday.

In Minneapolis, independent photographer John Abernathy was documenting one of the daily protests that followed a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity when agents tackled him to the ground, the Guardian reported. A photograph showing him on the pavement with pepper spray running down his face circulated as evidence of how ICE agents treated both immigrants and the citizens who came to their defense, according to the outlet.

How many journalists were arrested or assaulted in 2025?

The US Press Freedom Tracker documented 32 arrests of journalists and 170 assaults against them in 2025, most occurring during protests, the Guardian reported, citing the tracker. The Guardian said the climate for reporters has not improved in 2026.

By the numbers

• 32: journalist arrests documented by the US Press Freedom Tracker in 2025
• 170: assaults on journalists recorded over the same period, mostly at protests

What happened to reporter Estefany Rodríguez?

Estefany Rodríguez, a Colombian reporter covering immigration for a Spanish-language outlet in Nashville, Tennessee, was arrested in March and held in ICE detention centers in Louisiana and Alabama for two weeks before a judge ordered her release, according to the Guardian. Rodríguez had reported on immigration arrests at a local courthouse the day before agents surrounded her car — marked with her outlet's logo — and took her into custody, the outlet reported.

What prompted the multi-outlet investigation?

Cases involving journalists such as Abernathy and Rodríguez prompted a collaborative investigation involving staff from roughly two dozen newsrooms, the Guardian reported, examining how immigration enforcement has affected reporters, including some who are themselves immigrants.

What is the timeline of key incidents?

• 2025: US Press Freedom Tracker logs 32 journalist arrests and 170 assaults, mostly tied to protest coverage.
• March 2026: Estefany Rodríguez is arrested in Nashville a day after covering courthouse immigration arrests; she is held two weeks in Louisiana and Alabama before a judge orders her release.
• 2026: ICE operations intensify in Minneapolis; photographer John Abernathy is tackled and pepper-sprayed while covering protests.
• September 2026: The Guardian publishes findings from a multi-newsroom investigation into journalists affected by the crackdown.

What should reporters and readers watch next?

• Whether the US Press Freedom Tracker's 2026 tallies show arrests and assaults rising or falling from 2025 levels.
• Outcomes of legal challenges, including any further court rulings on detained journalists.
• Whether outlets marked with press credentials or logos, like Rodríguez's vehicle, continue to be targeted during immigration operations.
• Additional findings from the multi-outlet investigation as more newsrooms publish their reporting.

The Guardian's reporting draws on interviews and documentation compiled as part of the collaborative investigation, which the outlet said was inspired directly by the treatment of journalists like Abernathy and Rodríguez during the enforcement operations.

Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security is quoted responding to the specific incidents in the Guardian's report.