300 migrants arrive at Florida national park, forcing closure


Florida's Dry Tortugas National Park has been closed to the public after 300 migrants arrived by boat. The park, located at the tip of the Florida Keys, was closed to "evaluate, provide care for, and coordinate transport to Key West" for the migrants, per a statement from the National Park Service (NPS). The majority of the migrants are believed to be Cuban, reports Axios.
The migrants will be turned over to federal agents and processed through U.S. Border Security, The Washington Post writes. The Florida Keys have seen a marked increase in Cuban migrants seeking asylum; 80 individuals were sent back to Cuba just last week. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said the uptick demonstrates a "lack of a working plan by the federal government to deal with a mass migration issue that was foreseeable."
The increase is largely due to Cuba's growing economic crisis, which includes food and fuel shortages as well as anti-government protests, Axios continues. In 2022, border officials came in contact with Cuban migrants over 250,000 times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Border agents said Sunday they had responded to 10 migrant landings in the Keys since midnight that same day. "They're uninhabited remote islands that don't have the infrastructure to support them," said Lt. Cmdr. John Beal, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard's Seventh District.
The NPS has said the park's closure will remain in place until further notice.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
RFK Jr.'s focus on autism draws the ire of researchers
In the Spotlight Many of Kennedy's assertions have been condemned by experts and advocates
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
Protein obsession is oversaturating the health food space
Under the Radar Some experts say that fiber is now the most important macro to focus on
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Codeword: April 23, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador's CECOT prison becomes Washington's go-to destination
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Republicans and Democrats alike are clamoring for access to the Trump administration's extrajudicial deportation camp — for very different reasons
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Supreme Court takes up Trump birthright appeal
Speed Read The New Jersey Attorney General said a constitutional right like birthright citizenship 'cannot be turned on or off at the whims of a single man'
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Court slams Trump, senator visits Ábrego García
Speed Read The case 'should be shocking not only to judges' but all Americans with an 'intuitive sense of liberty'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Trump granting military control of federal border lands could circumvent the law
In the Spotlight The move could allow US troops to detain people crossing the border
By Justin Klawans, The Week US