Background: CBP Immigration Actions Targeting Visa-Holding Filipino and other Cruise Ship Seafarers

Since April 2025, Pilipino Workers Center has received a total of 218 reports of valid visa-holding seafarers who have been unjustly deported from cruise ships at several ports of entry throughout the United States: Virginia, Florida, Texas, Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan, South Carolina - and most recently, California.  

April 13, 2025: 21 Filipino crew members of the Carnival Sunshine cruise line, all holding valid 10-year visas, were forcibly removed in handcuffs by Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Norfolk and sent back to the Philippines without any legal representation or due process. These workers, falsely accused of possessing child pornography without a shred of evidence, have not been charged or found guilty of any crime. 

Aquilina Soriano Versoza, Executive Director of the Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California stated at the press conference, “It didn’t matter that these workers all held valid 10-year visas. It didn’t matter that they are only coming into the port – often for less than a day – to do their jobs. It didn’t even matter that these visas legally provide workers with the livelihood to take care of their families - who are now thrown into financial uncertainty as their jobs are abruptly ended and they are subject to a 10 year ban.

These crew members are dedicated parents and spouses with exemplary backgrounds, having passed rigorous background checks to obtain their work visas. Their abrupt removal, accompanied by the cancellation of their visas and a shocking 10-year ban from re-entry, has inflicted deep trauma and humiliation, plunging their families into dire financial straits. As the Carnival Sunshine is set to dock again in Norfolk this Sunday, remaining crew members are left in fear of being the next victims of these aggressive actions.

“Tanging hangarin ko lang po ay magtrabaho ng maayos sa barko at buhayin ang pamilya ko…Inosente po ako at biktima lamang ng maling paratang ng CBP sa Virginia [translation: My only desire is to work well on the ship and support my family...I am innocent and just a victim of false accusations by CBP in Virginia],” declared Earlson Jasmer Gamboa, 29 year old galley attendant who was detained and deported on June 28, 2025 without any legal representation and without being charged or found guilty of any crime.

This pattern of workplace raids is not unique to Norfolk, Virginia; it reflects a disturbing national trend that has seen other crew members deported under similar false pretenses, despite their valid visas and lack of criminal charges. The most recent reports came from California between April 23rd-April 28th of this year where the largest contingent of Filipino seafarers (26 total) were detained without just cause; and most of whom were deported within 24 hours of their detainment.

This trend has gone largely unnoticed, however, because these are migrant workers who do not have ties to the mainland due to working on traveling cruise ships and their families are still living in their home country. These workers only come in briefly to dock with their cruise ship and then leave often times without disembarking. When these unjust deportations have occurred, these seafarers have had no knowledge of US law and no connections for legal support.

Community members are outraged by this blatant mistreatment of Filipino workers and are demanding accountability from Customs and Border Protection, American cruise line companies, and the Philippine embassy to safeguard the rights and well-being of Filipino and other cruise ship seafarers. The affected workers insist on having their stories heard, appropriate corrective action taken regarding their immigration status, and an immediate halt to these baseless deportations.

"Due process is essential for all immigrants. With 1 in 5 detained being Black, we must confront the inequities and advocate for fairness and dignity for every individual, regardless of their immigration status." - Gaylene Kanoyton, Virginia State Conference NAACP Region 1 Vice President and Political Action Chair.

Since April 2025, Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) has been in communication with affected seafarers, many of whom are lawfully employed and not undocumented, yet are being targeted. The number of seafarers removed from major cruise lines continues to increase without much resistance from employers, including:  Royal Caribbean (68 seafarers), Carnival Cruises (60 seafarers), Victory Cruises (26 seafarers), Disney Cruises (20 seafarers), and many more.

In response, the Pilipino Workers Center, the NAACP, and Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights along with other the local and national organizations have taken immediate steps to support the seafarers and demand accountability, actively mobilizing a response to the growing number of deportations. The organization is once again calling on the U.S. and Philippine governments to support their investigation into the incidents and launch a formal inquiry into the actions of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as well as the role of cruise line employers in facilitating the unlawful removals. 

“The Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights is proud to stand with the Pilipino Workers Center. Due process is a cornerstone of American values. Baseless accusations without evidence, seeds distrust and resentment against government agencies and government officials. We call on all Americans to contact President Trump and their member of Congress, and demand an immediate end to the act of intimidating hard working visa holders without any evidence of wrong doing or due process. Everyone has constitutional rights, which were hard fought and earned by the great Americans who came before us. They sacrificed so we would not suffer lack of due process or tolerate the trampling of American constitutional rights.”-Monica Sarmiento, Executive Director of the Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

In addition, PWC is initiated a national call-in campaign directed at the Carnival Cruise Line, demanding accountability and an immediate end to the unjust treatment of crew members. On the ground, PWC is also working directly with seafarers to educate them about their rights as immigrants, connect them to legal counsel, and provide urgent support to those affected.

A statement from Marcelo Morales Jr, Carnival Sunshine crew member detained and deported on June 28, 2025:

“I wish to respectfully express that I am a law-abiding seafarer. The situation described above caused me great personal stress and reputational damage, especially since no evidence was ever presented, and I was fully cleared just weeks before the visa was revoked. I remain committed to my work, the rules of every port I enter, and the values of honesty and professionalism. I provide this full statement to be transparent and responsible, and I respectfully ask JUSTICE not just for me but to all Filipino who has been accused and harassed by the Custom border protection (CBP) officers. To God be the glory.”

The Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) and other community organizations are calling on Carnival to stand with their workers and speak out against these unjust revocations of visas.  We are also  urging both U.S. and Philippine government officials to intervene immediately to protect the rights and well-being of these legally employed seafarers. PWC also encourages individuals who may be facing similar circumstances—or who know someone affected—to call PWC's emergency hotline (820) 777-4102 or contact the organization for help and support.

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