China News Agency, San Francisco, January 2 (Xinhua) Dry Turtle Island National Park, located in the southwestern tip of Florida, USA, issued a statement on the 2nd saying that due to the recent influx of about 300 immigrants, the park will be temporarily closed from that day onwards.

　　Dry Turtle Island National Park said in a statement on the 2nd that the park will be temporarily closed to the public from that day onwards.

Law enforcement and medical personnel will assess, care for and transport the approximately 300 immigrants who arrived at the park in recent days to the city of Key West.

The statement said caring for migrants requires resources and space, and the closure of the park was necessary for the safety of visitors and staff.

　　The New York Times quoted U.S. officials as saying that in addition to the approximately 300 migrants who arrived at Dry Tortugas National Park, more than 160 migrants arrived at other locations in the Florida Keys in the past few days.

U.S. authorities say the migrants began pouring into the country around New Year's Eve.

　　U.S. officials did not identify the migrants' nationalities, but Dry Tortugas National Park said in a statement that, like other sites in the Florida Keys, the park had recently seen an increase in boat arrivals from Cuba.

The U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement on December 31, 2022 that since October 1, 2022, the agency has intercepted 4,076 Cuban immigrants.

The previous year, the figure was 6,182.

　　The Monroe County Sheriff's Office described the influx of immigrants in recent days as a "serious immigration crisis" and accused federal authorities of being slow to respond.

In some cases, federal authorities did not arrive until the next day.

Dry Tortugas National Park said in a statement that park first responders provided the migrants with food, water and basic medical care until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security arrived and took over the investigation.

U.S. federal authorities will confirm the legality of the status of these immigrants to determine their fate.

　　According to the US National Park Service, Dry Turtle Island National Park covers an area of ​​about 259 square kilometers and consists of 7 small islands that can only be accessed by boat or plane.

The park is expected to be closed for several days until further notice, and ferries and seaplanes to the park will not operate.

(use up)