The stories emerging from Norfolk, Virginia are heartbreaking and enraging. At least 18 Filipino crew members aboard Carnival Sunshine, were forcibly removed from the ship, handcuffed, detained, stripped of their dignity, and deported back to the Philippines. These crew who held valid C1/D crew visas have now been banned from reentering the United States for 10 years.
Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), said the deportations reflect “an alarming escalation of unjust immigration practices” targeting seafarers. The groups confirmed the crew had all passed background checks and carried valid U.S. work visas. Yet that didn’t stop U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from treating them like criminals.
According to Business Mirror Philippines chefs, stewards, waiters, sanitation staff were picked off one by one as CBP officers boarded Carnival Sunshine repeated during port calls to Norfolk. According to multiple reports, these sweeps have been happening regularly since February 2025 and have even spread to other lines.
“They placed us in handcuffs and leg irons,” said Marcelo Morales, a 33-year-old chef. “They didn’t give us food or water. We were crying, asking for justice.”
Morales’ ordeal began in late May when CBP officers interrogated him and scoured his phone for illegal content. Finding nothing, they let him return to work. But a month later, without any new evidence, they returned and arrested him—again. This time, they confiscated his phone, took his fingerprints and DNA, and handed him a revocation notice without ever providing a clear explanation. No due process. No legal counsel. No dignity.
The pattern is disturbingly consistent: CBP officers allegedly accuse seafarers of having inappropriate photos sometimes innocent images of their own children. One crew member revealed that her husband and several colleagues were sent home simply for having baby photos or partially clothed toddlers in their phone gallery. Others were reportedly punished for autoplay ads or accidental clicks on Facebook.
Worse, most of those detained were denied access to legal representation and weren’t even allowed to contact the Philippine Embassy. The only person who visited them was a staffer from the cruise line’s HR department—hardly enough for people facing life-altering consequences and crushing financial fallout. Many of these workers were breadwinners, supporting entire families. Morales now struggles to support his two siblings in college and fears he may never work aboard a cruise ship again.
“We were just doing our jobs,” he said. “They told us to follow American law—but no one explained what we were accused of.”
The Filipino community in the U.S. is demanding answers from the authorities.
Why were these workers removed without charges?
Why weren’t they allowed lawyers?
Why were their visas revoked with no explanation?
As the Carnival Sunshine returns to Norfolk this weekend, fear grips the remaining crew. Will they be next? Will they also be stripped of their rights and dignity without a voice or defense?
