Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro is in the United States after Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court ordered the seizure of his passports. The U.S. midterm election results could affect the political climate surrounding his stay, but Congress does not decide whether he can be expelled. (Foto: Instagram)
The outcome of the U.S. midterm elections could affect how long Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro remains in the United States. The elections, held Tuesday, will decide all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats. Flávio is in the country after Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court ordered the seizure of his passports.
Projections indicate that Democrats, who oppose President Donald Trump, could regain control of Congress. A shift in control could influence the remainder of Trump’s term, including through congressional investigations that might put pressure on his administration over the Bolsonaro family. Congress, however, does not decide whether the family can be expelled from the United States. That authority rests with the State Department, led by Marco Rubio, and the Department of Homeland Security.
Flávio, a Trump ally, has relied on that relationship as he advances claims that he was elected Brazil’s president, despite having lost the presidential election. Last week, he released a letter alleging fraud in the vote but did not provide evidence of irregularities. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 66% of respondents disapproved of the Trump administration. Meanwhile, the hashtag #DeportTheBolsonaros was among the most widely shared on Brazilian social media during the previous week.
Flávio’s brother, former lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, has been in the United States since March 2025. The source reports that Eduardo went there to seek international sanctions against Brazilian officials and to try to prevent arrests and investigations in Brazil. Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court convicted him this year.
Flávio faces three investigations in Brazil and is expected to focus on preparing his defense in the coming months. Unlike Eduardo, he has assembled a team of lawyers to represent him as they seek to prevent further court rulings. The investigations concern alleged money laundering involving attorney Willer Tomaz and betting platforms; alleged corruption in the financing of Dark Horse, a film about their father, former President Jair Bolsonaro; and alleged slander against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The passport seizure order came from Justice Alexandre de Moraes in the money-laundering case involving Flávio and Tomaz. Investigators are examining an alleged scheme involving companies owned by Tomaz and betting businesses. Flávio left Brazil the previous Tuesday with his wife and two daughters, traveling first to Argentina, then stopping in Ecuador before arriving in Miami. The trip followed a day of conflicting accounts and false information from allies about his whereabouts. In the United States, he met with Eduardo and Alexandre Ramagem, who was also convicted by Brazilian courts.
