Capito pushes for higher standards on asylum claims as record numbers of illegal border crossings continue

Washington D.C. (WTRF) – The record numbers of illegal crossings at the U.S. southern border have lawmakers scrambling to find solutions as election seasons draws ever closer.

One of the major roadblocks seems to be a lack of judicial officials to process asylum claims.

We spoke to West Virginia Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, so estimates that at our current capacity we can process about 2,000-3,000 asylum claims per day, and says at least in the short term we will need more.

But she also wants to raise the standard for what qualifies for asylum.

“What I want is to raise the standard of asylum. In other words, you can’t just come in and claim asylum and then 10 years later find out, no, you weren’t really threatened. You have to have a higher level of danger, and then you also have not passed on going to another safe country, or another part of your own country.”

SEN. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, R-WV

Capito hopes that raising standards will disincentivize people from making the difficult journey across the border, which often requires payment to dangerous human traffickers like cartels and coyotes.