At least 44 people are confirmed dead, with that number expected to rise exponentially, as the Bahamas continues to reel from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Dorian. More than 70,000 on Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands have been left homeless, and thousands remain missing.

On Saturday, a cruise ship brought more than 1,500 Bahamanians to a port in Florida. But on Sunday, more than 100 people seeking aid and refuge in the United States were turned away after boarding a ferry bound for Florida. Before the boat left the Bahamas, passengers were told to disembark if they didn’t have visas to enter the United States. This is Renard Oliver, a father who was forced to take his young children off the boat after the announcement.

Renard Oliver: “At the last minute like this, it’s kind of disappointing. It’s hurtful, because I’m watching my daughters cry. But yeah, it is what it is.”