Hundreds of Bahamians attempting to flee the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian were reportedly told to leave a ship if they did not have a visa to enter the United States.

Video posted Sunday on Twitter by Brian Entin, a reporter for Miami-based Fox affiliate WSVN, showed an announcement being made aboard the Balearia ferry, which was transporting evacuees from the Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., saying visas are required for everyone on board attempting to enter the U.S.

CNN reported that hundreds of Bahamian evacuees were previously allowed into the United States without visas, and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website states visas are not required for Bahamian residents flying into the U.S. from the Bahamas if they also meet other criteria.

That criteria include possessing a valid passport or travel documents, having no criminal record and carrying a police certificate issued within the past six months. Entin reported that the evacuees were told upon boarding the ship that criteria would be enough to enter the states.

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"CBP was notified of a vessel preparing to embark an unknown number of passengers in Freeport and requested that the operator of the vessel coordinate with U.S. and Bahamian government officials in Nassau before departing The Bahamas," CBP told The Hill in a statement.

"Everyone who arrives to the United States from another country must present themselves to a CBP officer for inspection at an official CBP Port of Entry. All person must possess valid identity and travel documents," the agency said.

Entin in a follow-up tweet Monday morning interviewed CBP officers in Florida who said they would “have accepted and processed the Bahamians” and blamed the ferry company for the announcement.

Balearia did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

Videos of the incident prompted an uproar, with 2020 presidential candidate and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) calling it the “height of cruelty.”

Sen. Brian SchatzBrian Emanuel SchatzState probes of Google, Facebook to test century-old antitrust laws Trump's sinking polls embolden Democrats to play hardball Hundreds of Bahamians told to leave evacuation ship headed to US: report MORE (D-Hawaii), who is not running for president, said, "This must immediately be fixed.”

Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas as a Category 5 storm last week. More than 40 people have been reported dead, and the death toll is expected to rise.

Updated at 12:01 p.m.

Tags Beto O'Rourke Brian Schatz Hurricane Dorian