JoAnna Mendoza, the Democrat challenging US Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Tucson) is running in a Southern Arizona district hit hard by President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. She’s making the case that a tough border and more accountable enforcement can go hand in hand.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests more than tripled in fiscal year 2025 in the state, according to an Arizona Luminaria analysis. Nationwide, more than 65,000 people were in detention nationwide as of July, and about 71% had no criminal conviction, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.
In Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, where about 1 in 3 people are Hispanic and many residents speak Spanish, students and lifelong residents have felt the impact of ICE. Among those detained include Karla Toledo, who was picked up by ICE and held in custody for about a week despite having active DACA status.
The deportation surge has happened with the support of Arizona’s Republican delegation, including Ciscomani, who once struck a more supportive tone on immigration, particularly DACA, but has since voted in support of Trump’s mass deportation agenda—including two laws that gave ICE a combined total of about $113 billion, more than 11 times its usual annual budget, according to Time magazine.
Mendoza says taxpayer money must go to “solutions that are actually working.”
The Democrat argues that ICE should follow “the rule of law” but should also be properly trained and vetted to handle enforcement. A report by Ohio Immigrant Alliance, an advocacy group, identified 152 ICE and Border Patrol agents who were accused, charged, or convicted of violent crimes, according to the 19th. On Oct. 8, an ICE agent shot Oscar Belgal, a New Yorker with a 5-year-old child in the backseat, and in January, immigration officials shot and killed two US citizens—Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good—-leading to widespread backlash and calls for reform.
“Any money that is appropriated anywhere, is taxpayer dollars, and we need to make sure that that money is going to solutions that are actually working,” Mendoza said. “Congress has a responsibility to not only appropriate funding and be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, but to make sure that all federal agencies are operating within the letter of the law.”
Ciscomani has said little about ICE’s tactics. At a Sierra Vista event in January, Ciscomani acknowledged ICE concerns, but didn’t denounce the agency outright.
“Things have spiraled out of control in some of these areas,” Ciscomani said. “We see that in Minnesota.”
At the event, he told reporters that he supported Trump’s decision to hand control of Minnesota immigration enforcement to border czar Tom Homan.
Mendoza pointed to her background as a veteran to make the case that a strong border equals a strong country.
“As a 20-year Marine who has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, national security is always going to be a top priority for me,” Mendoza said. “Protecting the homeland is a top priority for me.”
While national Republicans attempt to frame her as weak on the border, Mendoza argues members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, have failed to meaningfully address border concerns—something she wants to change if elected.
“They go down to the border, they take pictures, and then they say, ‘I’m fighting to secure the border,’” Mendoza said. “Nobody’s doing anything.”
In Safford, a rural town in Graham County, police told her that a lack of border resources makes it harder for local officers to do their jobs.
“The lack of action and solutions at the border are creating issues for our local law enforcement officers, who are doing everything they can to make sure that they’re keeping our communities safe,” Mendoza said. “I believe in a strong border, and I believe in the rule of law and upholding the constitution.”
On her campaign website, Mendoza says she wants to strengthen security at ports of entry, “hold cartels accountable, and deport violent criminals”. She also wants better technology at the border and for small police departments with limited budgets, including tools to catch fentanyl before it enters the state.
“People want safe communities and they want a secure border, and that’s what I stand for,” Mendoza said. “I’m gonna be really tough on border security. I don’t want cartels coming into our communities. We can get them the hell out.”
Where she says she differs from Ciscomani is on enforcement itself: She wants to ensure ICE agents are properly equipped to do their jobs, which she says isn’t happening under the Trump administration.
She also supports better pathways to citizenship for people who “work hard, follow the law, and contribute to their communities,” and has signaled support for the Stop Excessive Force in Immigration Act from Arizona Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.
“No one should be forced from their home, separated from their family, or denied due process without a lawful basis, especially veterans who have served our country,” she told Arizona Luminaria.
In an interview with the Copper Courier, Mendoza criticized Ciscomani, who often points to his own immigrant story, for not speaking out against ICE or standing up for immigrants in his community. Ciscomani came to the US from Mexico at 13 and frequently describes his path from immigrant to member of Congress as emblematic of the American dream.
“Ciscomani should know this better than anybody else because he’s [an] immigrant who came to this country as a kid, and he should understand that this is not just about photo ops,” Mendoza said. “It is about really getting stuff done and not being concerned about who gets the credit for it.”
Ciscomani previously had a more supportive stance on DACA
“Our DACA and our dreamer students that have been here since they were two or three years old, they deserve a shot at the American dream,” Ciscomani said in a 2024 radio appearance. “I’ve
taken some heat for that position but I’ll continue to stand on that because these kids don’t know anything else, any other country. They’re Americans.”
Despite past rhetorical support, Ciscomani skipped a roll call vote in June on an amendment that would have shielded DACA recipients from detention or deportation, despite voting for every other roll call measure. Toledo, once released, penned an op-ed asking why the congressman, who frequently touts his immigration story, said nothing about hers.
The district, rated a tossup by the Cook Political Report, could determine party control of the US House this November. Trump won it by less than a point in 2024 and lost it by less than a point in 2020, according to the Cook Political Report.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Election officials recommend mailing ballots by Oct. 27. After that, voters should return ballots to a drop box or voting location by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
