MANILA, Philippines — A Filipina was among at least 10 people arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during operations on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Friday.
The arrested Filipina was identified as Karen Empaynado, who has prior convictions for burglary, grand theft, and battery in Deltona, Florida.
DHS said the other arrests included three individuals from Mexico, three from Honduras, and one each from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.
The Department of Foreign Affairs previously reported that at least 69 Filipinos were in U.S. immigration custody as of June 2025.
The arrests come amid an intensified crackdown on undocumented immigrants following the assumption of office by President Donald Trump in January 2025. DHS said it deported roughly 605,000 individuals and reported that 1.9 million undocumented immigrants “self-deported” between January and December 2025.
