Allegations of mistreatment in detention centers for undocumented immigrants are being addressed by the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Huffington Post that the government will do what it can to improve conditions at family detention centers, but women and children who cross the border illegally will continue to be detained.

The DHS initially sought to limit the use of detention centers after reports of abuse, and instead wanted to use ankle bracelets, but with the recent wave of immigrants this year, it has been forced to revert to detention centers and more have been opened.

Mothers at a recently opened location in New Mexico complained of cold temperatures, undercooked food, and, attorneys said, women were forced to speak about their experiences, including abuse and sexual assault, in front of their children, the Huffington Post reported.

Mayorkas addressed the criticism, saying, "If, in fact, we fall short, and quite frankly, the advocacy community has identified instances where we have not provided as we should for the care and needs of those families, then we will respond aggressively to address that and to solve that problem. I think we have done so with tremendous vigilance."

Although the wave of immigrants has retreated, the system is backlogged from the overwhelming numbers this past summer.

DHS data shows that immigrants entering the Rio Grande Valley of Texas has fallen from a peak of more than 450 a day in June to less than 50 a day in September. In total, more than 63,000 unaccompanied minors, mostly from Central America, have crossed the border this year, and are awaiting court hearings for asylum.

Some of the efforts by the Customs Enforcement agents in the region along with other federal departments have helped to curb the number of immigrants.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced in July that U.S. law enforcement officials have arrested nearly 200 smugglers and seized more than $625,000 in illicit profits from their smuggling operations, the Arizona Republic reported.