Since President Donald Trump’s return to office, immigration enforcement in the United States has accelerated sharply, creating new and serious obstacles for journalists covering these policy impacts on local communities. The Committee to Protect Journalists has
documented
the use of immigration authorities to target reporters, including journalists who were in the country legally at the time of their detention — such as
Mario Guevara
and
Estefany Rodríguez
— as part of a broader pattern that creates a chilling effect on press freedom.
This threat extends beyond enforcement on the ground: The Trump administration has proposed shortening the length of I visas — the visa used by foreign journalists to work in the United States — a move that CPJ has warned would create a framework for editorial censorship by tying press access to administration approval. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup bringing thousands of FIFA accredited journalists and media workers to the U.S.,
CPJ has urged reporters traveling to cover the games
to be aware that press credentials will not protect them from potential stops, searches, and general harassment from law enforcement officials, including at the border.
Reporters serving Spanish-speaking and immigrant communities like Maritza Félix, founder of the independent nonprofit news outlet Conecta Arizona, frequently face scrutiny as journalists covering the story and as individuals with deep personal ties to the communities they’re covering.
Félix spoke with CPJ about her mission to inform and empower Hispanic, migrant, and border communities in Arizona, the risks facing journalists in her community, and how local newsrooms are adapting to a political environment that is increasingly hostile to the press.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What have been the biggest challenges in covering immigration in your community amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown?
Internally, we’re leading a team
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