A Texas Democrat border county judge is inviting President Joe Biden to visit the border and “witness first-hand the challenges being created by current policy.” On Friday afternoon, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez sent a letter to President Biden inviting him to the region and expressing a need for “immediate and decisive action” in dealing with the ongoing surge in immigration.
In his letter, Judge Cortez asked for federal manpower and resources claiming that while he is sympathetic to the plight of “asylum-seekers,” the government needs to address their needs in a safe manner without putting at risk the well-being of his community. In Texas, a county judge is the chief executive officer for the county’s government.
The letter comes after a week of controversy began when La Joya Police Department issued a health alert after discovering a group of COVID-19 positive migrants eating at a Whataburger and not staying in quarantine. As Breitbart Texas reported, the migrants told police that they had been released by U.S. Border Patrol after testing positive for COVID-19. That group and several other migrants were staying at a local hotel in La Joya that was being paid for by Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV).
Soon after, the City of Weslaco sent out a statement requesting a meeting with CCRGV after learning the charity was using a hotel there to also house sick migrants, Breitbart Texas reported. Cortez also sent a statement calling out Biden’s Department of Homeland Security over the release of sick migrants into the community asking them to stop the practice.
In response to the controversy, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state troopers to stop any civilian vehicles being used to move migrants. The order placed him squarely at odds with the Biden administration.
Cortez is one of the border county judges that had opposed a disaster declaration issued by Governor Abbott claiming that crime in the area had not risen to the level that would merit such a measure.
The judge’s apparent flip flop on border issues received some backlash from Monica De La Cruz Hernandez, a Republican activist turned candidate for U.S. Congress in South Texas.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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