The Trump administration is expected to announce as early as Wednesday new rules that would allow for the longer term detention of families traveling with children across the U.S.-Mexico border, according to two government officials familiar with the plan.

The government's detention of children has been limited to 20 days under a court settlement known as the Flores Settlement Agreement. President Donald Trump and Republicans have repeatedly blamed the 20-day limit for encouraging undocumented migrants from arriving at the border with children, expecting to be released.

The administration proposed a similar rule in September 2018, arguing that the Flores agreement is no longer valid once the administration publishes its own regulations. But the rule was never enacted.

The officials spoke to ABC News on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details publicly. DHS officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.