Migrant families detained in Texas will be flown to San Diego weekly

In an attempt to relieve overcrowding at border facilities in Texas, hundreds of migrant families, mostly from Central America, detained while trying to cross the southern border will be flown to San Diego where they will be interviewed, finger printed, and photographed before being turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"We're in the middle of a humanitarian crisis and the numbers in Texas are staggering so the BP is helping out in those sectors to more efficiently process those folks," an unnamed CPB official said, referring to the Border Patrol.

The first official flight arrived on Friday and three flights carrying between 120 and 135 people will take off weekly, Customs and Border Protection Interim Chief Patrol Agent Douglas Harrison said on Friday. The families will be medically screened before departure to ensure they are fit for travel. There are not expected to be any unaccompanied minors on the flights.

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The announcement comes as two Department of Homeland Security Officials said the DHS is planning to transport recent border crossers to cities around the country before releasing them after processing. It is not clear if the San Diego flights are part of that plan, NBC News reports.