EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Arizona’s 6th Congressional District is a largely rural enclave abutting the New Mexico state line where federal court records show chases of smugglers’ vehicles carrying unauthorized migrants are almost daily fare.
It is also one of the few political “toss up” districts in the nation, and one that could determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives after November 5. A compilation of national election polls gives neither Democrats nor Republicans more than 214 likely seats in November – when 218 are needed to control the House.
At a Tuesday night debate in Phoenix sponsored by Clean Elections, Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani and Democratic challenger Kirsten Engel made the case why they should represent this district in the next Congress. The economy, immigration and abortion rights are some of their top issues.
“We need to secure the border. We had the opportunity to do so (through) the bipartisan border security deal backed by the Border Patrol union that would have put more boots on the ground, fentanyl detection systems at ports of entry,” Engel said. “But my opponent opposed it, he rejected it just days after (former) President Trump made it clear he wanted to keep the border a crisis so he could run on it for his presidential campaign.”
Ciscomani, who was elected to the House in 2022, said the Border Patrol union has endorsed him and that some Senate Democrats also opposed the bipartisan deal – which would have capped daily asylum requests to a higher level than the Biden administration established last June.
“When you look at the border, you have to look at all the issues,” said Ciscomani, whose family lawfully immigrated from Mexico. “Immigration [….] the process is slow, is bureaucratic, is expensive – 13 years it took my family to achieve American citizenship. Then you have trade and commerce: For Arizona Mexico is our number one trading partner.”
Ciscomani enumerated the Biden administration’s “missteps” first in acknowledging there was a border immigration crisis and then in addressing it. He said a comprehensive immigration reform bill likely won’t pass in a divided Congress.
“So, what do we need to do? We need to implement again Remain in Mexico; we need to make sure we tackle this issue piece by piece because the idea of a huge border package is going to find problems,” he said. “We can’t wait for that to work and not do anything. We need to end ‘catch-and-release,’ end the parole authority and increase the asylum credibility of fear.”
Remain in Mexico, or Migrant Protection Protocol, was a Trump-era policy of making asylum-seekers wait south of the border until they were called by a judge. Catch-and-release refers to the federal government’s practice of apprehending migrants and releasing them from immigration custody with a court date pending years into the future.
Engels acknowledged Biden was late to react to the immigration surge and agreed Congress remains divided. But she said last January’s bipartisan deal had the support to pass and make things better at the border but was stumped by Trump and “extremists” like Ciscomani.
“We need to elect people that will embrace solutions” instead of partisan politics, she said.
Ciscomani said Trump had nothing to do with him not supporting the bipartisan immigration deal. “Trump never called me. No one called me to tell me how to vote. I know how to do that by myself. I know how to read bills and what I read, there were several aspects that needed work,” he said, adding that eight law enforcement associations in addition to the Border Patrol union have endorsed him.
Trade, government spending and abortion rights
Engel said abortion access is one of the top issues for voters in the district.
“They are really upset,” she said. “Every woman, every person has to have the freedom to make their own health care decisions with their doctor, with their family and that is not what we have. I’m going to fight to protect reproductive rights.”
Ciscomani said abortion is a state issue and voters should have a say on it.
“I’ve always said it’s a state issue and then the Supreme Court agreed with that,” he said. “This is a very personal issue. I trust women, I cherish new life, I reject the extremes on this issue. I’ve been very clear where I stand on it: I reject the federal ban on abortion, I support the exceptions for rape, for incest and, of course, for the life of the mother.”
Engel said exceptions are not enough. “This is health care. There aren’t time-tables for the complications of pregnancy,” she said.
On trade and the economy, Ciscomani played up his tenure as senior adviser and vice chair of the Arizona-Mexico Trade Commission and the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He supports reducing regulations so businesses can grow and generate jobs and said he opposes tax increases and unnecessary government spending.
He played up his roots to the border’s binational community.
“I understand our community because I grew up here. I went to school here, I graduated here, I’m raising my family here. I am from here. This community welcomed me when my family and I immigrated to the United States,” Ciscomani said.
Engel, an environmental lawyer and educator, is a former Arizona state senator and state representative.
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