Trump admin. orders faster personnel surge to border, wants more asylum seekers returned to Mexico

She also told the border agency, which is overseen by DHS, to look at adding possibly more than 2,000 officers to the border areas.

Nielsen also directed the immediate expansion of the administration's policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings, calling for "hundreds of additional migrants" to be returned to Mexico each day.

So far, this policy is in effect in California and parts of Texas, but Nielsen said her department would look to expand the locations for returns as well.

"The crisis at our border is worsening, and DHS will do everything in its power to end it," said Nielsen in a statement.

Her announcement comes after President Donald Trump threatened to close down the border between the US and Mexico this week if Mexico doesn't stop illegal migration.

"Mexico must use its very strong immigration laws to stop the many thousands of people trying to get into the USA. Our detention areas are maxed out & we will take no more illegals. Next step is to close the Border! This will also help us with stopping the Drug flow from Mexico!" Trump tweeted Saturday.

Over the weekend, the administration said it was cutting off aid to the Northern Triangle, otherwise known as the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, one day after Trump said they had "set up" migrant caravans for entry into the United States.

"We were paying them tremendous amounts of money. And we're not paying them anymore. Because they haven't done a thing for us. They set up these caravans," Trump said Friday.

The majority of migrants arriving at the southern border are from these three countries.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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