About 550 active duty troops have started arriving along the U.S.-Mexico border ahead of an expected increase of migrants when pandemic-related restrictions on migration are lifted Friday, AP reported. About 900 more are expected at the end of the month for 90-day rotations.

The troops will come from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and Fort Bliss, Texas. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is also sending more than 500 Texas National Guard troops, as On Base reported.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said Tuesday that the active duty troops are “not there in any way to be interacting with migrants” but will free up border patrol personnel from other tasks.

President Biden said Tuesday that his administration was working to make the change orderly but that “it’s going to be chaotic for a while,” according to another AP report.

AP photo by Veronica G. Cardenas