The number of Cubans seeking asylum in the US is rising as people suffer from repression and a poor economy . The wait to apply for asylum is about two months, shelter directors say. News reports of migrant workers from Central America reaching the US - Mexico border have motivated a number of people in the Communist - ruled island to make similar efforts , helping to swell the number of asylum seekers to 100,000 in March . Cubans are no longer afforded special immigration treatment by the US ; however , the publicity generated by Trump 's demands for stricter immigration controls has highlighted the use of asylum seeking as a way of entering the US .
The number of Cubans seeking asylum in the US is rising as people suffer from repression and a poor economy . News reports of migrant workers from Central America reaching the US - Mexico border have motivated a number of people in the Communist - ruled island to make similar efforts , helping to swell the number of asylum seekers to 100,000 in March . Cubans are no longer afforded special immigration treatment by the US ; however , the publicity generated by Trump 's demands for stricter immigration controls has highlighted the use of asylum seeking as a way of entering the US .