Mexican immigrant elected to Congress, Juan Ciscomani, won’t settle for identity politics

Juan Ciscomani, a green card holder and former citizen of Mexico, interned on Capitol Hill for the first time 20 years ago. In January of 2022, he returned to Washington, DC as a US citizen, wearing a green member of Congress pin. The father of six and former senior adviser to Arizona’s Republican Governor, Doug Ducey, won Arizona’s 6th Congressional District just southeast of Tucson in a swing-seat battle that helped Republicans win back the House.

In an era when the border crisis has polarised Democrats and Republicans, Ciscomani rejects the notion that Hispanics should be coerced into thinking a certain way about an issue based on their heritage. He does not subscribe to the belief that there are “Hispanic” issues, implying that everyone is affected by the same issues, regardless of their ethnicity. While Ciscomani has taken no active stance on the “border invasion”, he acknowledges that the ongoing issue of millions of illegal immigrants entering the US has had significant consequences. He believes that the border situation revolves around three components: immigration, trade, and security, with all three needing to be considered because of their interdependence.

During an interview with the Washington Examiner, Ciscomani said, “What I bring to the table is a balanced perspective between all three because, like I said, one, I have a personal experience with the other one, I have a career that I focused on, and border security is what my community has been going through and living on the border gives me that perspective. I’m sitting in a place where I can talk about it from a very personal basis.”

His approach caught the attention of GOP leadership early in his term. In February, he was asked to give the Spanish rebuttal to President Biden’s State of the Union address. His message focused on practical issues, steering clear of finger-pointing or cultural warfare. He echoed recent conversations with Hispanic voters in his district who were concerned about better job opportunities, better educational opportunities, and safety when discussing the country’s top issues of concern.

Ciscomani, along with four other lawmakers, visited the US border with Mexico to discuss the issue of border security and endorse a comprehensive solution that would address legal immigration levels as well as border security. He believes that finding a solution will require compromises from all parties involved.

Despite the challenges posed by a divided Congress, Ciscomani maintains an optimistic attitude, convinced that a window exists for negotiations and change. He believes that having a sizeable majority and a divided Congress creates both challenges and opportunities for progress.