Living in a World Where Everyone’s Aggrieved, and Everyone’s a ‘Victim’
Due process for arriving foreigners is whatever Congress says it is.
By Dan Cadman on September 17, 2025
The Inquirer recently published an article titled “4 Filipino seafarers removed from Carnival Cruise ship in Baltimore”. It goes on to say, among other things:
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 incident took place on Sept. 7 and was first reported by Marino PH, which said the seafarers were questioned over alleged drug possession and coerced into signing confessions related to child pornography accusations.
Early in my career many, many years ago, I served in New Orleans, which is an extremely busy maritime port, albeit more for bulk cargo than cruise lines. We dealt often with both stowaways and merchant mariners, who are only admitted conditionally into the U.S. for the period of time the vessel will be in port, and in no event to exceed 29 days if the crewmembers are admitted at all, which is a matter in the discretion of the inspecting officer who must, in a short period of time, make judgments. For instance: Is this person skilled in his profession and a long-time mariner, or a first-tripper looking to jump ship at the first opportunity? The manifest would offer clues, e.g. “seaman first class” vs. “ordinary seaman”, if you looked for them. So did the passport presented by a crewmember. Did it hold a cornucopia of entry and exit stamps from all over the shipping lanes this vessel traveled, or was it disturbingly clean?
https://cis.org/Cadman/Living-World-Where-Everyones-Aggrieved-and-Everyones-Victim
