About two dozen Wisconsin National Guard members are headed to the southwest border to help the Arizona National Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

The Wisconsin National Guard announced today that Arizona officials had requested the state’s help. The Wisconsin troops are volunteers from units located around the state and operate under state control, but will be federally funded. Wisconsin is one of several states nationwide providing support to states on the southwest border, the Wisconsin National Guard said in a statement.

In a letter to Congressman Mark Pocan in April, Gov. Scott Walker had earlier expressed his support of President Donald Trump’s actions at America’s southern border.

“Let me be clear: the southern border of the United States of America is not secure,” Walker said. “One of the most fundamental responsibilities of our federal government is to protect our borders and shores. Sadly, through several administrations, the federal government has failed in this fundamental responsibility.”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Kelda Roys, winner of the last five Democratic straw polls, released the following statement in response to new reports of Gov. Scott Walker sending Wisconsin National Guard troops to the southern border:

“The brave men and women of the Wisconsin National Guard joined to keep Wisconsinites safe and secure, not rip families apart and commit human rights abuses. Walker’s silence in the face of the horrific policy of family separation is bad enough, but sending Wisconsin’s National Guard to abet it is even worse,” she said in a statement. “While I oppose misusing our National Guard troops as immigration enforcement agents, this goes well beyond that and is unacceptable. I call on Governor Walker to refuse to send Wisconsin troops to the southern border until family separation ends, and to condemn that policy in the strongest possible terms.”