The immigration crisis unraveling on the border with Mexico continues to mire the Obama administration. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson went on "Meet the Press" on Sunday to discuss the topic and explain the government's plan.

Around 52,000 unaccompanied children have crossed border into the United States since October, according to Politico. The government has scrambled to try to house all these children and also prepare deportation proceedings so they can be returned home.

On "Meet the Press," host David Gregory asked Johnson whether the government planned to deport the children who had been detained by Border Patrol. Johnson outlined the government's plan.

"Our message to those who come here illegal: Our border is not open to illegal migration. And we are taking a number of steps to address it, including turning people around faster. We've already dramatically reduced the turnaround time, the deportation time," he said.

Johnson added that the government is following procedure that requires it to hand the children over to the Department of Health and Human Services but that "there is a deportation proceeding that is commenced against the child."

Johnson also explained on the show the main reason parents send their children abroad: misinformation. Johnson told Gregory parents believe the immigration laws benefiting undocumented children will apply to their children because the cartels tell them as much. However, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, applies only to children who arrived in 2007, Johnson told Gregory.

Johnson added, in response to one of Gregory's questions about deporting children, that the administration is attempting to reduce the time needed to deport children in light of the increasing numbers and the strain on infrastructure.

"I'm saying that we've already dramatically reduced the turnaround time for the adults. And we're in the process of doing that for the adults with the kids," Johnson said.

According to USA Today, a 2008 law passed by President Bush requires that children caught crossing illegally be handed over to the Department of Health and Human Services within 72 hours for safe accommodation. That department has to provide "pro bono legal representation for unaccompanied alien children in their immigration matters where possible," according to the Washington Examiner.

USA Today reported that a White House official confirmed that the administration "is considering asking Congress for permission to treat Central American minors similarly to how the government treats children from Mexico." This would give the White House the power to speed up the children's deportations.