As immigrants continue surging into Texas, the Obama administration is scrambling to find a way to house all the families and children detained by Border Patrol officers.

Over the last couple of months, the number of immigrants, particularly families and unaccompanied minors from Central America, has been rising. The government lacks the resources to handle the issue and has taken to housing the immigrants in deplorable places like garages and jails. On Friday, the Obama administration announced a plan to open more detention facilities to alleviate the pressure but provided few details.

The statement, by Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, did not specify how many families will be housed in the detention centers or how many centers will be opened. According to The Associated Press, only one such center currently operates in the country -- in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It can hold fewer than 100 people.

However, there has been news about a new detention center opening in New Mexico. It will open in Artesia at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, where Border Patrol officers train. No date has been given for the beginning of operations at this facility, but Mayorkas says it will be soon.

Republicans in Congress, led by Speaker John Boehner, have sent a letter to the administration asking him to send National Guard troops to repel the immigrants. President George W. Bush did something similar during his second term. Mayorkas told reporters he had just received the letter and would review it with officials to see how Boehner envisions using the troops.

In the meantime, human rights organizations and congressmen have spoken out against the administration's decision to open new detention facilities. The Nation reports that the administration has captured 47,000 unaccompanied children since October and the number is projected to nearly double. Many legislators have opposed the increase in detention centers, including Sen. Bob Menendez (D, N.J.) and Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D, Ill.)

"Using up our nation's resources to jail families will not be a deterrent -- these kids are fleeing violence and are willing to risk their lives to cross the border. The threat of a jail will not stop these families from coming here. Instead, we need to fully address the root causes of the crisis," Menendez said.

ACLU Legislative Counsel Joanne Lin also released a statement decrying the government's decision to continue imprisoning families.

"The answer to the humanitarian and refugee crisis at our southern border should not be to detain families with children. Many of these families have fled crime and violence in Central America, and have suffered trauma during their treacherous journeys to the U.S. in search of legal protection," Lin said. "Human rights require that detention be the last resort, not the first. Families should be moved out of detention as soon as possible and be released under humane and reasonable supervision, including community-based alternatives to detention which have proven to be cost-effective and efficient."