Frustrated with the nonstop surge of illegal immigrants pouring over the U.S.-Mexico border, a new and bipartisan solution has emerged to give migrant families 15 days to prove they deserve asylum or be sent home.

Called “Operation Safe Return” and proposed by the influential Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, it would provide migrants with legal and medical attention, translators, and multiple hearings with officials to prove they had “credible fear” of returning home, the key to winning asylum.

But if they are denied credible fear by a judge the migrants would be sent home.

The program, which immigrants would enroll in, would not require any new laws or rules and would allow for a shift of funds to impacted areas on the border. Those with convictions or other legal troubles would not be eligible for Operation Safe Return.

“Aren’t you sick of this,” said the author of the plan, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate panel, at a Wednesday immigration roundtable. “Let’s start to do something.”

A goal of the program would be to speed up asylum considerations and limit the freeing of illegal immigrants who are not eligible for asylum. A committee official said, “It’s important to address the current incentives to make the treacherous journey and come here that are resulting in an overwhelmed system.”

Johnson sent his proposal (shown below) to the White House, Justice Department, and Homeland Security Department Thursday morning.

In the letter, signed by Republicans and Democrats, the committee said, “We have worked with your agencies to develop a streamlined process to rapidly, accurately, and fairly determine those family units that do not have a valid legal claim and safely return those individuals to their home countries. The process would use existing authorities, but surge necessary resources to a limited, particular location on the southern border.”

The letter said the border is in a much worse crisis than when President Barack Obama in 2014 called the situation he encountered a “humanitarian crisis.” The numbers, said the letter, prove that true: In 2014, 137,000 families and unaccompanied children were apprehended at the border compared to 389,000 caught in the first eight months of fiscal year 2019.

The key features and timeline of Operation Safe Return:



Within 1-3 days, families would receive a U.S Border Patrol interview. Those who do not claim credible fear would be deported.

Those who do claim fear of returning home would get a second interview within the next two days. Translators would be provided.

Over their first 4 days in the U.S., all would receive a medical exam and be provided "fair access" to attorneys.

Within 9 days, asylum officers would conduct an interview.

Within 1 day of that interview, the officer’s determination will be sent to DOJ and homeland security.

Over the next 2-4 days officials would judge the case.

Within a total of 15 days, homeland security would remove family units “whose negative credible fear determinations are affirmed by the immigration judge.”

Those found to have a credible fear of returning will be steered to file an asylum claim.

Changing the asylum system has been a focus of the administration which this week instituted rules requiring asylum seekers to ask for it in the first country they pass through. Many illegal immigrants pass through Mexico first.

The availability of asylum is considered a strong “pull factor” that attracts illegal immigrants to the United States.