Karen Empaynado | Photo from DHS website
LOS ANGELES – A Filipina was among the first undocumented immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2026.
Karen Empaynado was among the 10 people arrested as part of the agency’s New Year operations. She was described in the ICE news release as “a criminal illegal alien from (the) Philippines, convicted of burglary, grand theft and battery in Deltona, Florida.”
You may like: 70-year-old Filipino grandma faces deportation after 4 decades in US
ICE begins the new year “with continued progress in removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American communities,” according to the news release announcing the arrests.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin praised ICE, saying it rang in the New Year “with the removal of more disgusting monsters including pedophiles, murderers, and fraudsters from American neighborhoods.”
You may like: Filipino detainees describe life-threatening neglect in ICE facilities
The other undocumented immigrants arrested were from Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Cuba.
The post Filipina among first undocumented immigrants arrested by ICE in 2026 appeared first on USNewsRank.
Discover more from USNewsRank
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.