A Filipina with a prior criminal record was identified among individuals taken into custody during immigration enforcement actions carried out in the United States at the start of the new year.
According to the US Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Public Affairs, Karen Empaynado was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement operatives during operations conducted on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Records show that Empaynado had earlier convictions in Deltona, Florida, involving burglary, grand theft, and battery.
The enforcement activity, conducted in the first days of 2026, also resulted in the arrest of undocumented nationals from several countries, including Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.
Authorities stated that those apprehended in the operation will be placed under removal proceedings.
Separate data released by the Department of Homeland Security indicate that from January 20 to December 10, 2025, more than half a million undocumented individuals were arrested nationwide, a total that includes Filipino nationals.
