Washington, January 4 (RHC)-- The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has begun detaining and deporting Central American families who had immigrated to the U.S. illegally, including women and children, according to immigrant advocates.

The nationwide deportation operation began over the weekend, with reports of raids in the states of Georgia and Texas, immigration attorneys said. The large-scale campaign is reportedly being carried out by agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Obama administration officials said in late December that they would step up deportations of those who had already been ordered to leave the country. Immigrant advocates have questioned prioritizing nonviolent migrants for deportation and whether the facilities that hold them are suitable for minors.

Over 100,000 families have entered the U.S. from its border with Mexico since 2014 to escape the violence gripping El Salvador and Honduras in Central America.