Over 500 migrants have arrived in Florida in recent days, prompting the local sheriff to declare a “crisis,” The Associated Press reports.
The migrants have been arriving in small boats along the Florida Keys, driven to leave their home countries by economic turmoil, food shortages, and high inflation.
Over the weekend, 300 migrants arrived at Dry Tortugas National Park, which was closed to the public so that law enforcement and medical personnel could assist the group.
Meanwhile, 160 migrants arrived in other parts of the Keys over the New Year’s Day weekend, with 30 more arriving on Monday.
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay criticized the federal response to the influx of migrants, saying it was stretching local resources.
The U.S. Border Patrol told Ramsay’s office that it may take a day to respond to some of the arrivals.
Ramsay stated, “This shows a lack of a working plan by the federal government to deal with a mass migration issue that was foreseeable.”
Dry Tortugas National Park is expected to remain closed for several days due to the resources needed to attend to the migrants.
The park, located at the southern tip of the U.S. mainland, is a popular destination for scuba divers and snorkelers due to its coral reefs, sea turtles, tropical fish, and shipwrecks.
In addition to those who arrived at the national park, 160 migrants also arrived in the Middle and Upper Keys.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency reported that 88 of the migrants are from Cuba.
The Border Patrol and Coast Guard have seen a recent escalation of migration by boat in the South Florida and Keys region, with hundreds of interceptions in recent months, mostly of people from Cuba and Haiti.
