The American authorities’ hunt for illegal immigrants has now spread to the cruise industry, where up to 100 Filipino crew members have been detained and subsequently deported, without the opportunity to have their cases reviewed.
According to the organization The National Federation of Filipino American Associations, the deportations occurred even though the individuals in question possessed valid 10-year D visas, which are a requirement to work on board U.S.-registered cruise ships.
Customs and Border Patrol officers allegedly told the deportees that their visas had been revoked and that, in addition to being deported, they would also face a 10-year entry ban to the U.S. All without documentation or the opportunity to have their cases reviewed.
Most recently, authorities targeted the cruise ship Carnival Sunshine in Norfolk. Here, 18 Filipino crew members were detained during an inspection and taken ashore in handcuffs. The detainees will be deported.
Carnival Cruise Line does not wish to comment on the incident, as the company states it is a matter of official action.
A large portion of the hundreds of thousands of employees on board cruise ships worldwide come from the Philippines.
-mauh
