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

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. 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 be...