WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told Congress Tuesday he would consider "every conceivable, lawful option" to deal with a continuing flood of immigrants crossing the U.S. border illegally in southern Texas.

In his four-page statement to the House Homeland Security Committee, Johnson outlined more than a dozen previously announced administration efforts to help with the growing problem.

Since the start of the budget year in October, Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 52,000 immigrant children traveling alone. Most of the young immigrants are from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala and are being caught in Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

At the same time, the administration is dealing with more than 39,000 adults with children caught at the border. An unknown number of those immigrants have been released with notices to report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices near their final destinations inside the United States.

The administration has refused to say how many of those people have been released or how many have reported as ordered.