International Practice Chair Pedro Freyre in Miami spoke with the Wall Street Journal about the record numbers of Cuban migrants seeking refuge in the U.S., sparked by the island’s economic crisis, the harsh response to protesters, and the crushing impact of the pandemic and worsened by a recent fire that caused widespread power outages. The migrants most frequently enter the U.S. through flights from Nicaragua, and because of the expense of the journey, most people making the trek are those who already have American friends and family who can offer them sanctuary and employment.  

“So far many migrants have found shelter on the sofas and in the spare rooms of friends and relatives, while family networks have provided many of them with jobs of the books, says Pedro Freyre, a Cuban-American lawyer at Akerman LLP,” the Journal wrote.