The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has drafted sweeping new guidelines aimed at aggressively detaining and deporting immigrants living in the US illegally, according to a pair of memoranda signed by DHS Secretary John Kelly.

The memos dated February 17 seek to implement President Donald Trump's broad directive to crack down on illegal immigration.

Sorry, this video has expired Beverley O'Connor speaks to Curt Levey from FreedomWorks

Mr Kelly outlined plans to hire thousands of additional enforcement agents, expand on the priority list for immigrants marked for immediate removal and enlist local law enforcement to help make arrests, according to a person briefed on the documents.

"The surge of illegal immigration at the southern border has overwhelmed federal agencies and resources and has created a significant national security vulnerability to the United States," Mr Kelly wrote.

He said apprehensions on the southern US border had seen an additional surge of 10,000 to 15,000 immigrants per month from 2015 to 2016.

Trump 'shows great heart' towards immigrant children

The memos leave in place one directive from the Obama administration, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows young people who were brought into the country illegally as children to stay and obtain work permits.

The program has protected about 750,000 immigrants since its inception in 2012.

There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. ( ABC News: Stephanie March )

Mr Trump has previously indicated his desire to end the program, but at his media conference last week indicated that he would "show great heart" toward the program.

The guidelines direct agents to only pass applicants who have a good chance of ultimately getting asylum, but does not give specific criteria for establishing credible fear of persecution if sent home.

In 2015, just 18 per cent of asylum applicants whose cases were ruled on by immigration judges were granted asylum, according to the Justice Department.

Applicants from countries with a high rate of political persecution had a higher chance of winning their asylum cases.

The memos were reported first by The Washington Post and other news organisations.

A US official familiar with the documents did not dispute the accuracy of the memos signed by Mr Kelly, which were originally scheduled for release last Friday before they were postponed for White House review.

A White House official said it had raised objections with the documents and was working with DHS to finalise the policy.

The official was not authorised to discuss the process publicly and insisted on anonymity.

Under the draft guidelines, Mr Kelly seeks to "expeditiously hire" 10,000 more enforcement agents and 5,000 border patrol officers.

National Border Patrol agents intercept a group of migrants in November 2016. ( ABC News: Stephanie March )

'Immediately begin planning, construction of wall'

Seeking to fulfil Mr Trump's campaign promise to build a wall along the Mexican border, Mr Kelly also called on Customs and Border Protection to "immediately begin planning, design, construction and maintenance of a wall, including the attendant lighting, technology [including sensors], as well as patrol and access roads."

He described the wall as necessary to deter illegal immigration and called it a "critical component" of Mr Trump's overall border security strategy.

Mr Kelly said the department would also prioritise for more immediate removal of those who had been convicted of a crime; charged with a crime; committed fraud in connection with a matter before a government agency; abused any program related to public benefits; or have not complied with orders to leave the country.

Joanne Lin, senior legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, criticised the proposed guidelines as a Trump-style of immigration enforcement in which "due process, human decency and common sense are treated as inconvenient obstacles on the path to mass deportation".

"The Trump administration is intent on inflicting cruelty on millions of immigrant families across the country," she said in a statement.

AP/Reuters