Overview
- Federal agents boarded Holland America’s Volendam and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Breakaway and detained 11 foreign crewmembers after searches of living quarters and electronic devices that took place between Aug. 14 and 16, officials said.
- CBP identified nine of the detained as Filipino citizens and one each from Indonesia and Nicaragua, but agencies have not released the individuals’ names or which ship each worked on.
- After consulting prosecutors, officials processed all 11 under Section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for crimes involving moral turpitude and said the crewmembers are scheduled to depart the United States.
- Holland America confirmed it immediately terminated the workers and both cruise lines said they are cooperating with law enforcement as Homeland Security Investigations and CBP continue the probe.
- The Boston action is the latest phase of Operation Tidal Wave, which produced 27 administrative removals in San Diego and 14 in San Juan earlier this year, and highlights authorities’ use of immigration removal rather than routine criminal charging as a primary enforcement path with possible effects on hiring and vetting practices in the cruise industry.