President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border on Wednesday, directing U.S. service members and National Guardsmen to be deployed to the border and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to finish building the wall.

Trump signed the executive order on Wednesday, invoking the National Emergencies Act, after "four years of record-shattering illegal immigration into the U.S."

"A record-shattering 8.72 million border encounters have occurred at the southern border from FY21-FY24, overwhelming border resources and endangering communities," according to the order.

Trump had declared a national emergency at the southern border during his first administration -- in February 2019 and continued it in February 2020. Last year, he promised to declare an emergency in his second term to secure the border, including using the military.

"This Executive Order will allow the government to gain operational control of the border, combat the cartels, and secure our nation," the order reads.