Arizona Republican US Rep. Juan Ciscomani wants Congress to address legal immigration

Arizona U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani wants to improve the legal immigration process, an issue he takes personally, but he’s not sure Congress is as keen on addressing it as he is.

“I’ve been here for three years, and one of the things that I’ve realized is that some people in Washington — a lot of people in Washington — like issues and problems to stay alive, because that’s what keeps their jobs intact. So, the longer that you prolong a solution for something, the more you can milk it in different ways,” Ciscomani told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Thursday.

Ciscomani, a Republican who represents southern Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, is the first Mexican-born naturalized U.S. citizen elected to Congress.

“This year is my 20th anniversary as a U.S. citizen as the country celebrates 250 years,” he said.

Rep. Juan Ciscomani says colleagues respect his perspective

Ciscomani, who is unopposed in the upcoming primary as he seeks reelection, said he leans on his personal experience while discussing immigration issues with his colleagues.

“I was in a meeting with the speaker yesterday about this. A very small group. So, they certainly do respect that opinion and my perspective, my background, and what I bring to the discussion, because we want to make sure that we enforce the law,” he said.

Ciscomani said security is the government’s top priority when it comes to the border, but now that the Trump administration has “delivered” on that front, it’s time to address other immigration issues.

“We should start moving into, ‘How do we improve also the legal path to get here,’” he said.

Ciscomani added that he’s open minded about how to approach it.

“I’m willing to sit out with anyone on both sides to get something done, whether it’s a big package or something smaller,” he explained. “I’m of the idea that the smaller and the more targeted it is, the better chance it has of passing. So, I think that this is something that the president can get behind as well.”

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