NORFOLK, Va. — Four more Filipino ship workers on the Norfolk-based Carnival Sunshine cruise ship have been deported by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, according to a report from WTKR content partner WHRO.
This follows reports from July that more than a dozen workers from the Sunshine had been deported since April.
“They were accused of being in a group chat that had some links to child pornography, but they weren't shown any evidence of it, and all of the workers absolutely denied having anything to do with child pornography,” Soriano Versoza told WHRO.
More than 100 workers from various cruise ships have been deported in the U.S. this year, most of whom had valid C1/D visas, which are special visas given to foreign workers that crew commercial vessels.
The four Carnival workers detained were taken to a hotel and then flown out Monday morning, according to WHRO's report.
A representative of the Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California said they believe this is part of an effort from CBP to meet deportation quotas set by the Trump administration.
A Carnival spokesperson told WHRO, "“This is a law enforcement matter. Carnival always cooperates with law enforcement investigations.”
The CBP office in Norfolk told WHRO it had no comment.
