Obama administration defends handling of illegal migrant children as deportations rise

As US authorities increase deportations of illegal migrants along the US border, a top Obama administration official has defended the White House's handling of a flood of undocumented children.

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson told NBC television's Meet the Press that officials have reduced the "turnaround times" for migrants illegally entering the country along the Mexican border.

"I believe we're going to stem this tide," said Johnson, who added that US President Barack Obama's administration was also intensifying efforts to discourage migrants, including thousands of unaccompanied children, from making the overland journey to the US.

"There are no free passes once you get here" for those entering the US without authorisation, Johnson warned.

The immigration issue gained new urgency in the United States after 52,000 unaccompanied minors crossed illegally into the US via America's southern border since October.

Obama is due to travel to Texas this week, but Johnson would not say whether he would visit border areas.