Razor wire is seen on the banks of the Rio Grande river at Shelby Park on January 12, 2024 in Eagle Pass, Texas. 

Gov. Jeff Landry will send 150 Louisiana National Guard members to assist Texas with securing its border with Mexico — and in its power struggle with the federal government.

Louisiana is one of several states that will be aiding Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has bucked the federal government by placing razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass to prevent unauthorized border crossings. Conservative Republicans have argued President Joe Biden has neglected the federal government’s responsibility to enforce immigration laws.

“What the president has done is basically dog whistle to those who are trying to come to the country illegally… if you just swim across the Rio Grande, we’ll let you in that way,” Landry said Thursday at a Capitol news conference.

Abbott has referred to the influx of migrants as an invasion, for which the razor wire barriers are meant to be a defense. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed federal authorities to take down the razor wire. The Justice Department has argued it prevents the government’s ability to patrol the border, and the wire has also injured several people crossing the river.

The Texas National Guard has blocked Border Patrol agents from accessing the riverbank to take the wire down.

The number of people intercepted during attempted border crossings has sharply increased, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Immigration agents intercepted a record 300,000 people in December 2023, up from around 250,000 the year before.

Louisiana National Guard troops will not be engaged in detaining migrants, Brig. Gen. Michael Greer said, but they will provide support to border operations. Their duties will be similar to those undertaken during hurricanes, including administrative tasks, driving vehicles and manning checkpoints, he told reporters.

Landry and other Abbott allies have also highlighted the fentanyl crisis in support of the Texas governor’s border tactics. Customs and Border Protection tracked more than 27,000 pounds of fentanyl seized at the southern border last year. Louisiana has the third highest rate of drug overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and fentanyl doses are nearly twice the national average.

Critics of Abbott have said Americans are responsible for bringing the bulk of illegal fentanyl into the country, and that he has distorted the role immigrants play in the matter.

Louisiana previously deployed National Guard troops to the Mexican border in 2021, Greer said. In that instance, they were activated by the federal government rather than the governor. The mission was plagued with allegations of alcohol abuse and sexual assault, and one Louisiana Guardsman was killed in a drunk-driving accident.

The current mission will consist of 30-day rotations for three sets of 50 troops, Greer told reporters. Deployments are expected to begin in March.

The mission is estimated to cost Louisiana taxpayers $3 million, which the Legislature will need to approve. The cost could increase if the length of the mission is extended or if additional National Guard units are deployed.