LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Lawmakers warn the country is headed towards an impending border crisis.

Congressman Henry Cuellar predicts the U.S. is weeks, maybe even days, away from a critical situation along the southern border.

A challenge could be heading to the border.

“In the last 7 days in the valley they have stopped 10,000 individuals and 2,500 individuals in the last two days and many are being released.”

Cuellar fears a recent increase in migrant apprehensions along the southern border could lead to a surge.

A surge he says the country is currently unprepared to handle in the middle of the pandemic.

He does point out the number of migrants apprehended is not as high in Laredo when comparing it to the valley, but says it won’t be long before the gateway city sees the ripple effect.

“Remember what happened under the problem we had last time?” said Cuellar. “What did they do? {they said} ‘oh, we have too many people in the south, so let us send them to Laredo.’ They process them in {Laredo} and they send them by bus stations, and then release them in Laredo. My thing is, if the numbers keep going u they will release them in Laredo like they did in the past.”

Cuellar is also warning federal officials about the risk of exposing border communities to the coronavirus when transporting and releasing migrants in different cities.

“If they do not go to an NGO, then they go straight to the bus station and no one is checking them, or testing them for COVID-19, Border Patrol does not do that.”

Greyhound lines, a bus company who used to transport migrants in the United States, is also concerned about potential migration surges in 2021.

In a letter addressed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Greyhound is asking for emergency federal funding to be used for drivers and buses that will transport migrants.

No word if DHS has responded to Greyhound.

Meanwhile, Cuellar urges the Biden administration to listen and work with communities on the southern border who are dealing with the surge of migrants.

The letter also says in order to meet any surges Greyhound needs funding assistance to cover the costs of repositioning buses and drivers from other parts of the country to wherever they may be needed.

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