The Biden administration is sending 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in order to prepare for an expected migrant surge following the lifting of pandemic-era restrictions on May 11th.

The troops will not apprehend any migrants or do any law enforcement work, but will instead provide administrative support so that U.S. Customs and Border Protection can focus on fieldwork. The deployment will last roughly three months, with possible extensions.

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The troops will join the currently approximately 2,700 National Guard members deployed there now ready to stem the migrant surge.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement that “for 90 days, these 1,500 military personnel will fill critical capability gaps, such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support, until CBP can address these needs through contracted support. Military personnel will not directly participate in law enforcement activities. This deployment to the border is consistent with other forms of military support to DHS over many years.”

Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS) criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the border, saying in a statement that “this decision is just another example of the Biden administration planning poorly for a crisis that has been long in the making. The President and his team knew that the end of Title 42 risks an unprecedented migrant surge at the southwest border – yet the Department of Homeland Security waited until virtually the last minute to request Department of Defense support.”

He continued, “Moreover, by failing to plan for this entirely foreseeable request, the Department of Defense will now be forced to deploy active-duty troops, which will have negative impacts on readiness. President Biden could have avoided this entire situation by taking seriously the crisis at our border. It is time to return to the strong border policies of the previous administration and work now to finish the wall, support law enforcement, and target the cartels.”

“The way this administration has handled the border is a complete dereliction of duty to the safety and security of the American people,” Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) tweeted.

The pandemic-era restrictions put in place by the Trump administration allowed U.S. officials to turn away migrants crossing the border, but the restrictions will lift on May 11th. The move by the Biden administration to deploy troops comes as the U.S. is seeing an increase in the number of migrants arriving at the border. In March, U.S. authorities encountered more than 172,000 people attempting to cross the border, the highest monthly total in 20 years.

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The deployment of troops to the border is not a new practice. The military has provided support to the Department of Homeland Security at the border for many years. The Trump administration, for example, sent thousands of troops to the border in 2018 to deal with a migrant caravan.

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) tweeted, “Authorize the use of military force against the cartels NOW!”

The Biden administration has faced criticism from Republicans over its handling of the border, with many calling for a return to the border policies of the Trump administration. However, the Biden administration has said that it is committed to addressing the root causes of migration and creating a more humane and orderly immigration system.