A physical altercation at a Las Vegas Strip buffet resulted in a tourist spending three months in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody before being repatriated to her home country.

Arpine Misakyan, a resident of Southern California, was taken into custody on April 6, 2026 at Encore Las Vegas following a domestic incident at The Buffet at Wynn, based on an arrest report obtained by KLAS-TV/Las Vegas.

Despite the Clark County District Attorney’s office choosing not to pursue the domestic battery charge against Misakyan for striking her spouse, ICE apprehended her while she was being held at the Clark County Detention Center.

Misakyan was transferred to the Henderson Detention Center and subsequently to the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility in San Bernardino County, California, before agreeing to voluntary deportation to Armenia three months later.

“ICE Salt Lake City officers in Las Vegas arrested Arpine Misakayan, 28, an illegal alien from Armenia at the Clark County Detention Center on April 8,” an ICE spokesperson informed KLAS in a statement. “Misakyan accepted voluntary departure and was removed to her home country on July 4, 2026.”

As per KLAS, Misakyan reportedly had an ongoing asylum case at that time.

The Altercation

According to Misakyan’s arrest report, the couple was involved in an argument over a phone when Wynn’s security cameras captured Misakyan slapping her husband, prompting a surveillance officer to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD).

In footage from the body-worn camera of Misakyan’s arrest captured by LVMPD, her husband, Karen Harutyunyan, informed officers: “Wife was not feeling well. She slapped me because both of us, my wife and I, were partying excessively and enjoying ourselves, okay? Family issues.”

Misakyan was transported from the Encore on a stretcher after complaining of high blood pressure and breathing difficulties. She was admitted to UMC hospital for observation before being transported to the Clark County Detention Center.

Detained by ICE

Karen Harutyunyan made multiple attempts to release his wife, but was unsuccessful. Initially, an officer cited Nevada’s 12-hour hold requirement in cases of domestic violence (NRS 178.484, the mandatory cooling-off period before bail) as the reason for her detention. 

ICE was alerted due to LVMPD’s ICE notification policy (and a separate 287(g) Warrant Service Officer memorandum of agreement). The policy stipulates: “When a foreign-born individual is arrested and charged with a felony, domestic violence, driving under the influence (DUI), burglary, theft, larceny, petit larceny, and/or assault of a law enforcement officer, the Detention Services Division (DSD) will notify ICE at the time of both booking and release.”

In a move to challenge her detention, Misakyan filed a lawsuit on May 18 against James Janecka, the warden of the high-desert ICE Processing Center where she was detained, as well as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, senior ICE official Tae Johnson, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. However, before the judge could rule on her case, she opted to drop the lawsuit and voluntarily depart.