The Hidalgo County judge is calling on President Joe Biden to keep a Trump-era immigration policy that is set to expire next month — and to visit the Valley to witness the immigration situation firsthand. 

In a letter sent to the president on Monday, Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez expressed concern over the end of Title 42 restrictions, which allowed the government to expel migrants over COVID-19 concerns.

The restrictions are set to expire Dec. 21.

In his letter, Cortez asked the President to visit Hidalgo County, and to prioritize comprehensive immigration reform while delaying the end of Title 42.

READ THE LETTER HERE

 “I am sympathetic to those seeking asylum,” Cortez stated in the letter. “I must also communicate to you that current policies are placing an undue burden on those who have committed to protecting our country.”

Cortez expressed concern over more immigrants crossing into the Valley once the restrictions end.

“The influx of asylum seekers may prove disastrous to Hidalgo County,” Cortez stated in the letter.

Cortez previously sent a similar letter in May 2022 when the policy was supposed to end before a federal judge blocked the Biden administration from lifting the policy.