U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday directing the deployment of the National Guard to the country's border with Mexico.
"The situation at the border has now reached a point of crisis," Trump said in a memorandum to his secretaries of defense and homeland security and to his attorney general.
"My administration has no choice but to act," he added.
The memo orders that the defense secretary shall support the Department of Homeland Security in securing the southern border and stop the flow of drugs and criminals.
It gives 30 days to the agency heads to submit a report to the president as to their findings, along with an action plan.
