Dry Tortugas National Park will be temporarily closed to the public after the arrival of around 300 migrants in the past couple days, officials said.
The park closed at 8 a.m. Monday while law enforcement and medical personnel evaluate, provide care for and coordinate transport to Key West for the migrants, park officials tweeted Sunday.
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"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," a follow-up tweet said.
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Concession-operated ferry and sea plane services are also temporarily suspended.
Homeland Security officials said they're working to recover any other migrants who may be stranded on any remote, uninhabited islands in the area.
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The migrants will be given food, water and basic first aid before the U.S. Border Patrol determines their legal status to remain in the U.S. or be processed for removal, officials said.
The park has recently seen an increase in people arriving by boat from Cuba, officials said
Border Patrol officials said authorities responded to at least 10 migrant landings involving over 160 migrants just on Sunday.
Since Oct. 1, 2022, Coast Guard crews have interdicted 4,076 Cubans compared to 6,182 Cuban migrants in fiscal year 2022, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.
