Mexico’s Senate is considering a controversial plan to put the Defense Ministry in control of the civilian-led National Guard.

The reform initiative moved to the full Senate for debate Thursday after two Senate commissions had approved the measure Wednesday.

The plan, presented by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and passed Saturday by the lower house of Congress, would give the Army operational, administrative and financial control of the National Guard.

That reform has been widely criticized by human rights groups, and it’s expected to be challenged in the supreme court if it passes.

The president has used high levels of violence and insecurity to justify the move, despite having promised to decrease militarization.

The National Guard was formed in 2019 to replace the federal police, but has also been used for migration, border security and infrastructure projects.