300 migrants arrive at Florida national park, forcing closure

Dry Tortugas National Park aerial view
(Image credit: Stephen Frink/Getty Images)

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."

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 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.