300 migrants make landings at national park in Florida Keys

AP , Monday 2 Jan 2023

A US national park comprising a cluster of uninhabited islands in the Florida Keys was closed Monday after 300 migrants made 10 landings there over the weekend, officials said.

Migrants from Cuba to USA
FILE PHOTO: A family of Cuban migrants run across an open section of road after crossing the border wall separating the United States and Mexico to turn themselves over to authorities, in Yuma, Arizona. AFP

 

Dry Tortugas National Park, about 70 miles west of Key West, was closed so law enforcement and medical personnel could evaluate the migrants before moving them to Key West, the park tweeted.

“The closure, which is expected to last several days, is necessary for the safety of visitors and staff because of the resources and space needed to attend to the migrants," park officials said in their statement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a tweet that at least 88 migrants were from Cuba.

The national park is at the southern tip of the continental U.S. and attracts scuba divers and snorkelers for its coral reefs, nesting sea turtles, tropical fish and shipwrecks.

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