After issuing a disaster declaration over a recent surge in the number of migrants legally seeking asylum and staying in the county, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said he hopes that the federal government will reimburse the county for the expenses that it would take to manage the increase.

Cortez said many of the migrants are testing positive for COVID. With shelters reaching capacity and beyond, those people are instead being released throughout the community Cortez added.

RELATED: Hidalgo County judge declares state of disaster due to COVID-19 concerns from increase of migrants

"Where do you house them, how do you feed them, how do you transport them, how do you take them to the hospital should they need hospital?” Cortez said. “So it's all of those things that we need those resources."

Judge Cortez also says that the office of emergency management is working on plans to keep the migrants from infecting people in the community by possibly creating more tents like the ones seen in Donna. 

He is also calling on the Biden administration and congress to change current immigration laws and existing policies.