More than a hundred immigrants, mostly Central American families, were detained in a handful of states through the weekend in a federal effort to deport those who recently entered the country and stayed illegally, according to officials and advocates.

As part of the operation, 121 people were taken into custody — primarily in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas — and are being processed for deportation, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement Monday.

Advocates said immigrants were also detained in Maryland, New York and the Midwest, but immigration officials said those may be unrelated or not immigration-enforcement actions. Areas targeted for the sweeps appear to be among those with the highest number of immigrants who have been ordered deported, advocates said.

“This should come as no surprise,” Johnson said of the roundup. “I have said publicly for months that individuals who constitute enforcement priorities, including families and unaccompanied children, will be removed.”