(The Center Square) – South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Thursday she would send at least 50 of her state’s National Guard troops to the border this summer, answering a call from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

“The border crisis is growing worse under President Biden’s willful inaction. Across the country, crime rates, drug overdoses, and human trafficking have all skyrocketed because our border remains a warzone,” Noem said. “Our National Guard soldiers are the best prepared to tackle this challenge. They have proven that they can serve with excellence in a situation such as this, and I am confident that they will do so again.”

Abbott sent a letter to all 50 governors last month asking for help as the Title 42 rule ended with the pandemic health emergency. The rule allowed the government to expel illegal immigrants because of the health emergency.

“Texas alone should not have to shoulder the financial burden of protecting our nation,” Abbott wrote in his letter.

The number of encounters at the country’s southwest border grew from 458,088 during the 2020 fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 2019 to Oct. 2020, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBP reported more than 2,378,944 in fiscal year 2022. Since October, 1,431,964 border encounters have been reported.

In addition to South Dakota, 23 others states have committed to helping secure the southern border, including Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia.