“4 Filipino seafarers removed from Carnival Cruise ship in Baltimore”

…Four Filipino crew members of the Carnival Pride cruise ship were detained and deported earlier this month while the vessel was docked in Baltimore, Maryland, sparking a protest Sunday by Filipino migrant groups who claimed the workers were denied due process…

…the seafarers were questioned over alleged drug possession and coerced into signing confessions related to child pornography accusations…

Migrant rights advocates, led by the Tanggol Migrante Movement (TMM), held a press conference and rally Sunday outside the Carnival Cruise Line terminal in Baltimore, demanding accountability from both Carnival Cruise and the Philippine government.

Organizers said the four deported crew members were not afforded legal representation or proper hearings before removal. They pointed to a broader pattern, noting that US immigration authorities have deported more than 100 documented Filipino seafarers out of Norfolk, Virginia, and other US ports in the past year…

Carnival Cruise Line has not released a public statement on the incident.

The Philippine Embassy in Washington also has yet to issue an official response.

The protest comes ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s scheduled trip to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly later this month, with Filipino organizers hinting at further demonstrations to raise the plight of seafarers…