Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., defended former President Donald Trump for sending active-duty troops to the southwest border in 2018 while criticizing the Biden administration for preparing to do the same now in an effort to combat an expected surge of migrants.

The Pentagon will deploy 1,500 active-duty troops to help U.S. Customs and Border Patrol with detection and monitoring, data entry for 90 days, until the Department of Homeland Security can hire contractors to fill those gaps, according to Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.

In 2018, Trump deployed some 5,000 troops to the border to assist the Border Patrol. He said at the time that "Democrat inspired laws make it tough for us to stop people at the border,” calling it a “National Emergency."

Graham on Wednesday said that the Biden administration's plan to deploy troops to the border is “ridiculous theater” that would not make any meaningful change in law enforcement. But when asked by a reporter whether Trump similarly employed "theater" in 2018, the South Carolina senator demurred.

“I feel that Donald Trump did the best job in my political lifetime," Graham said. "When Donald Trump did something, it worked."

President Joe Biden's border policy has come under renewed criticism as Title 42 – the public health policy imposed by Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic that quickly expels border-crossers – is set to expire May 11. The policy has allowed for the expulsion of nearly 3 million asylum-seekers, according to statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The troops sent to the border by Biden will arrive as soon as May 10, Ryder said. There are 2,500 National Guard forces at the border.

Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lindsey Graham: Biden sending troops to border 'ridiculous theater'