With U.S. doors shutting, Cubans turn to Brazil for asylum

The Americas With U.S. doors shutting, Cubans turn to Brazil for asylum Updated August 3, 20263:05 PM ET Originally published August 3, 20263:05 PM ET By  Catherine Osborn A man pushes his bicycle along a trash-strewn street in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo hide caption toggle caption Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo VOLTA REDONDA, Brazil— Cubans fleeing the island's economic and fuel crisis are increasingly looking to Brazil after the Trump administration closed most pathways for their migration to the United States. Last year, more than 41,000 Cubans applied for asylum in Brazil—a record, according to the Brazilian government, and part of a broader trend in which asylum applications in the country have reached historic highs. On a Sunday morning in the southeastern Brazilian city of Volta Redonda, Cuban migrants gathered for a Spanish-language Bible study. Many had sought asylum in Brazil within the past year - after the Trump administration cracked down on immigration. Sponsor Message Together, they prayed for those still struggling in Cuba, where blackouts and medical supply shortages have become increasingly frequent amid a U.S. pressure campaign. "There are not many options" for Cubans seeking to leave, said José Ramírez, 57.Friends told him Brazil offers asylum-seekers permission to work and access to government social services. Those benefits have made Brazil one of the few remaining destinations where Cubans can seek protection while building a new life. But the trip from Cuba is not easy. Nearby Guyana is visa-free for Cubans, so many fly there before crossing into Brazil through the Amazon. It's a sharp reversal of a migration pattern from recent years, when migrants trekked northward through this region. Ramírez has now found work at an air conditioning company. His favorite things about Brazil are "freedom, electricity, food, and a decent wage," he said. Brazil has continued to accept asylum-seekers at a time when not only the...