DOD agreed to a Department of Homeland Security request to send 1,500 active military troops to the U.S.-Mexico border ahead of an anticipated surge of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. when pandemic-era immigration restrictions expire.

DHS asked for the backup, which we now know will come from Camp LeJeune, North Carolina and Fort Bliss, Texas, as Defense One reported in its Monday Defense Business Brief.

They’re expected to be on the ground Wednesday. Their role, according to U.S. Northern Command, is to support “data entry, warehousing support, and additional detection and monitoring support efforts” to free up Customs and Border Patrol to interact with those trying to enter the country.

In addition to the federal response, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is also sending more than 500 more National Guard troops to the border, according to Stars and Stripes.

Title 42, a restriction on immigration enacted by President Donald Trump early in the pandemic, is set to expire Wednesday night, as BBC explained.

Texas National Guard photo