Update at 4:50 p.m.: Revised to include comment from the Dallas mayor.

Dallas County has offered to house immigrant children who have been separated from their parents who entered the country illegally.

Dallas County has both the "heart" and the resources to temporarily host the children while the federal government searches for relatives or a foster home as the parents await immigration hearings, County Judge Clay Jenkins said Friday.

"Knowing the situation and knowing the heart of Dallas County, I knew that we could provide better, appropriate settings than being in a windowless setting and only allowed outside for two hours a day or living in tents," he said.

The offer must be approved by the Trump administration.

In April, the administration adopted a "zero tolerance" approach to to illegal border crossings. Now, when a family is caught sneaking into the U.S., the parents are routinely referred for criminal prosecution, even if they have few or no previous offenses. That typically means detention for the adults, pending their trials. Under U.S. protocol, if parents are jailed, their children are separated from them because the children aren't charged with a crime.

Until the the Trump administration's policy was announced this spring, such families were usually referred for civil deportation proceedings not requiring separation.

From April 19 to May 31, nearly 2,000 children were separated from 1,940 adults, according to Homeland Security statistics. The figures are for people who tried to enter the U.S. between official border crossings.

More than 1,400 children are being housed in a former Walmart in Brownsville.

An immigrant puts shoelaces back on his child's shoes at the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas, on June 10. Their laces and property were put in a bag while being detained by ICE. (Nathan Hunsinger / Staff Photographer)

This week, the administration identified a crossing point along the Texas border near El Paso as a temporary "tent city" for children. Children could begin arriving in the next few days. The tents will be air-conditioned and have areas for the kids to play and learn, officials said.

Jenkins said he wants to help keep the children out of such facilities.

Dallas County and any city that agrees to help house the children would not foot the bill for doing so, he said. The federal government would pay or reimburse any local government costs. The county would also ask for help from local charities, which would not be reimbursed.

Jenkins said he has reached out to local leaders to discuss his offer and would seek assistance in determining where the children would stay.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said the city will work with the county to find children a place to stay.

"The separation of a child from a parent who has entered our country to seek asylum is cruel and unconscionable," he said. "Dallas is willing to help in any way we can by working closely with outside agencies and community partners."

No possible sites in Dallas County have been identified. Jenkins said schools or hotels not in use are possibilities, as well as a North Texas camp not being used. Children would be educated at the facility and would remain on the property.

The policy of separating immigrant children from their parents has set off widespread protests.

The Trump administration and its supporters have defended the policy by saying that parents are being prosecuted for breaking the law. The administration has also accurately stated it was the law to separate children from their parents.

But Jenkins said politics shouldn't be a factor in caring for children. He said that if his daughter were separated from him in a place where he knew no one, he hopes that a community would come to her aid.

"You can be the most far-right person on immigration or the most far-left person on immigration," he said. "But we can still come together and agree that these children deserve our compassion and we should help, if we can."

Jenkins said he did not offer to house a specific number of children. He said he wants to know how many spots the federal government needs.

In 2014, Jenkins offered to house up to 2,000 unaccompanied children who entered the country illegally. The plan to house kids ultimately did not happen, although several local cities offered to help.

In 2015, children who came to the United States alone stayed in camps in Ellis, Rockwall and Somervell counties. Then, the federal government had budgeted $428 per day to care for each child. That included items such as meals, medical care and case management. But officials said they were spending far less.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.