US lawmakers question Trump administration's role in Bolsonaro's visa and flight to Florida

A group of 25 Democratic US lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio questioning whether the Trump administration helped Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro flee Brazil and how his US visas were issued, following his arrival in Florida this week despite a Supreme Court order barring his departure. The letter, sent Thursday and obtained by TV Globo, asks whether US agencies assisted Bolsonaro's travel, if officials knew of the Brazilian court order and criminal investigations against him, and what legal basis was used for issuing visas to him and his family. The lawmakers cited press reports alleging US help with his escape and private jet flight. Bolsonaro received authorization to stay in the US for one year, according to US Customs and Border Protection records. The lawmakers requested written responses by November 13, 2026, and noted the House Foreign Affairs Committee had publicly criticized the asylum granted to the senator.