U.S. Revokes Visas of 27 Cruise Workers Over Child Sexual Abuse Image Allegations

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has revoked the visas of 27 foreign nationals, including cruise ship workers linked to Disney Cruise Line, following allegations they received, possessed, or viewed child sexual abuse images. Authorities conducted operations aboard eight cruise ships in late April 2026, leading to the removal and repatriation of the individuals, most of whom were citizens of the Philippines, the agency said in a May 8 statement.

The agency did not identify the specific ships involved, the locations of the operations, or whether any passengers were victims. It confirmed no criminal charges are necessary for visa revocation and stated no further details were available. At least some of the ships had docked in San Diego prior to the enforcement action. Disney Cruise Line said it has a zero-tolerance policy for such conduct and confirmed that individuals tied to its operations are no longer employed by the company, while noting most of those affected were not its workers.

Immigrant and labor rights group Unión del Barrio has raised concerns about transparency and due process, saying it received only a generic response from CBP before the statement was shared with media. Spokesperson Benjamin Prado said the group seeks to verify the nature of surveillance used and whether the workers' rights were upheld. He expressed skepticism toward official claims and emphasized the need for independent follow-up.

The Department of Homeland Security has not announced further actions or public hearings. CBP said its investigation remains ongoing, and the matter may be referred to federal prosecutors for potential criminal proceedings.