Federal court upholds denial of asylum to Cuban family linked to Ladies in White
The Eleventh Circuit ruling affects Fidel Ernesto Armas Riveron, his wife and their two children, who sought to reverse denial of U.S. protection.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld denial of asylum to a Cuban family linked to the Ladies in White. Issued October 16, 2026, the ruling applies to Fidel Ernesto Armas Riveron, his wife Viena Martínez Bernal and their two children. They did not overturn the immigration decision denying protection in the United States.
The 12-page decision is docketed as case 25-14299. Judges Jordan, Luck and Kidd formed the panel and upheld the denial while deciding the family's appeal.
The family said its members experienced police surveillance, physical attacks, threats and harassment in Cuba. They also alleged threats against one child and retaliation related to opposition activities and their link to the Ladies in White. Those statements were the applicants' claims supporting their request for protection.
The judges concluded the evidence was insufficient to compel a finding of past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution. That assessment determined why the appeal did not change the asylum denial.
The Eleventh Circuit considered whether to reverse rejection of the family's protection application. After reviewing the case, it maintained the decision. Armas Riveron, Martínez Bernal and their children therefore did not obtain the change they sought.