Due to an influx of Cuban migrants, Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys is temporarily closed to the public.
According to a press release issued by the National Park Service, the closure, which went into effect on Monday, is anticipated to last for several days “while law enforcement and medical personnel evaluate, provide care for and coordinate transportation to Key West for approximately 300 migrants who arrived in the park over the past couple of days.”
The park can only be reached by seaplane or boat, and it is located about 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Key West. Seven small islands make up Dry Tortugas, which is mostly water and covers about 100 square miles. It is within the National Marine Sanctuary of the Florida Keys.
According to a statement released by the National Park Service on Monday, “Like elsewhere in the Florida Keys, the park has recently seen an increase in people arriving by boat from Cuba and landing on the islands of Dry Tortugas National Park.”
According to the National Park Service, the park’s closure “is necessary for the safety of visitors and staff due to the resources and space required to attend to the migrants.”
The NPS released a press release that stated, “Concession-operated ferry and sea plane services are temporarily suspended.”