On Dec. 4, U.S. Customs and Border Protection suspended operations at the border crossing in Lukeville to address a spike in migrant encounters, effectively shutting down the most highly traveled border crossing on the way to the Mexican tourist city of Puerto Peñasco, which is also commonly known as Rocky Point. Lukeville, which has a population of only a few dozen people, has become a major migration route, seeing upwards of 2,500 people a day from areas as far away as Senegal, China and India.

The National Guard soldiers deployed by Hobbs’ order will be stationed along the border in multiple areas, including at both the Lukeville and San Miguel border crossings, to help with analytical support and stopping the flow of fentanyl and human smuggling efforts. Approximately 2,500 National Guard members are currently at the southern border with federal active duty orders, and 243 of them are stationed in Tucson, according to Hobbs’ order.