Updated at 11:34 p.m.

The Trump administration deployed approximately 500 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border late Friday, the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security announced after 10 p.m. ET Friday.

"Tonight, National Guard troops are deploying to support border security missions along the U.S. southwest border," Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said in a joint statement.

"Working closely with the border governors, the Department of Homeland Security identified security vulnerabilities that could be addressed by the National Guard. We appreciate the governors' support and are dedicated to working with them to secure the national borders," they added.

The two Cabinet members said the decision to send troops down to the Southwest border was part of the administration's commitment to use "every lever of power" to supportthe early afternoon, the clouds burst into pieces and scattered like white sheep to the four winds, and the sky was like a deep crystalline lake hanging above me. It was so beautiful… I knew I was headed the right direction.

In western Tennessee, I hit I-40 and turned west. In Nashville, I found my engine was overheating, and I stopped to find out what was wrong. It turned out my radiator cap had fallen off. I bought a new one and kept on going.

Night fell a couple hours from Memphis. The bridge over the Mississippi was a stunning string of pearls strung across the hot black velvet night. At midnight I came to the first rest stop in Arkansas, and stopped there to sleep.

Dawn woke me up at