Some 125 members of the South Dakota National Guard are heading to the border with Mexico as part of a federal government mission.
Gov Kristi Noem approved the federal request from Homeland Security and the National Guard Bureau on Wednesday.
The soldiers, members of the 1742nd Transportation Companyin Sioux Falls and Flandreau, will be deployed for 9-to-12 months from California to Texas proving non-law enforcement support to U-S customs agents
The South Dakotans will join about 3,000 Guard members from several other states on the mission, which is funded by the federal government.
Noem said last month she’s sending up another 50 Guard members to the border as part of a separate effort initiated by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Noem faced backlash last week after using a $1 million donation to pay for that deployment, a move she defended as a way to defray the cost to taxpayers.