Teen from Safety Harbor migrant shelter with no state oversight dies

A 17-year-old boy living in a Safety Harbor shelter for unaccompanied migrant children died on Wednesday after being transferred to Mease Countryside Hospital, according to Bill Pellan, director of investigations for the District Six Medical Examiner Office.

Pellan said further details of the boy’s death could not be released due to the ongoing investigation. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the active case and declined to release records.

The shelter at 101 Main St. in downtown Safety Harbor has been in operation by the Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services nonprofit since late 2020. It is funded by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The death is complicated by an ongoing dispute between the federal government and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, which in December 2021 announced that Florida will no longer license shelters that house migrant children. The decision has resulted in shelters, including the one in Safety Harbor, being able to operate without a license or state oversight.