WATCH: Obama's DHS chief admits they detained children, 'we believed it was necessary

Jeh Johnson, secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama administration, threw a wrench in the progressive narrative on Sunday, which contends that detainment of families, and the possible separation of children from their parents, is wholly unnecessary.

Instead, Johnson freely admitted the Obama administration did exactly what the Trump administration is being criticized for — and they "believed it was necessary."

What did Johnson say?

During an interview with Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday," Johnson admitted they expanded immigrant detention in the Obama administration.

"Without a doubt the images, and the reality, from 2014, just like 2018, are not pretty," Johnson said.

"We expanded it, I freely admit it was controversial, we believed it was necessary at the time, I still believe it is necessary to remain a certain capability for families," Johnson explained. "We can't have catch-and-release."

Catch-and-release was a controversy policy from the Obama-era where immigrants who traveled to the U.S. for asylum would be released until their cases could be processed.

How many did the Obama administration deport?

Johnson also boasted that the Obama administration "deported or repatriated" more than 1 million illegal immigrants. Indeed, in 2015, the American Civil Liberties Union blasted the Obama administration for its immigration policies.