Maryland’s 6th Congressional Candidates Find Common Ground on Legal Immigration Reform Amid Wider Disagreements

HAGERSTOWN, Md – Maryland is far from any U.S. border, yet the topics of immigration policy and border issues took center stage during the second debate on Wednesday morning between the candidates in its 6th Congressional District—the most competitive one in the state.

Although the first debate between Democrat April McClain Delany, a former U.S. Commerce Department official, and Republican Neil Parrott, a former state delegate ended in chaos and fury, their second debate on Wednesday was calm and civil. The candidates stuck to their well-rehearsed talking points and mild partisan attacks on a range of issues, including the economy, health care, energy transition, women’s reproductive rights and foreign affairs. However, both expressed agreement on the need to expedite legal immigration reform, despite it was not their central focus of immigration policy.

Nearly 20% of the district's population is foreign-born, with the majority originally from Asia. However, when asked about their plans to reform the legal immigration system, neither Delany nor Parrott provided a clear policy beyond mentioning the need to streamline the green card process. Instead, both focused on border security—whether by increasing border agents or funding the border wall—underscoring their priority on illegal immigration.

Parrott revisited the issue when discussing the current administration's response to Hurricane Helene relief efforts, accusing the government of diverting funds to support undocumented immigrants at the expense of North Carolina’s disaster recovery. In contrast, Delany criticized the politicization of disaster relief, arguing that it should not be used as a tool for border disputes.

Among all the topics discussed during the debate, Parrott’s firm stance on securing the border resonated most with Cindy Swanson, a retired resident of Hagerstown, where the debate was held. Swanson said illegal immigration has been a concern for her for some time. She recalled attending a PTA meeting years ago where she learned that 35 unaccompanied children had been bussed to the community through human trafficking.

“So here we are, nowhere near the border, but they're being flown in, or they're being bussed in, and they're bussed in right here,” Swanson said, adding “Every city now is a border city.”

Wearing an emblematic green T-shirt in support of Neil Parrott, Swanson described herself as “pretty apolitical.” When asked if she aligns mostly with Republican values, she responded, “In fact, I wasn’t at all.” Swanson explained that she casts her ballot based on policies, not party affiliation. However, she added that she has seen better policies from Republicans recently.

As a retired Marylander, Social Security income plays a significant role in Swanson’s life. However, she expressed frustration, saying it’s unfair that illegal immigrants also benefit from it because “they're getting benefits that the American worker has been paying for all his working life, and they're getting it right off.”

Although they chose not to use their limited debate time to elaborate on their policies regarding legal immigration reform, both candidates expressed to Yuan Media their enthusiasm for welcoming legal immigrants, particularly STEM talents from countries like China and India.

In an exclusive interview with Yuan Media, Delaney repeatedly emphasized the contributions of Asian immigrants to U.S. technology, science, and innovation. “I think our immigrant community here, the AAPI community, has had an incredibly positive impact,” she said. Accordingly, during the debate she expressed her eagerness to streamline the immigration process and attract more talented immigrants to contribute to the country for longer periods.

Through his interactions with the district’s Asian community, Parrott learned how challenging it is for immigrants from Asian countries to obtain a green card. He specifically emphasized the risk they face of being forced to return home if they were laid off for some reason.

“They've graduated from our universities…These are the best and brightest from around the world,” said Parrott, “I'd rather see them be able to stay here. So we need to work with that immigration process to make it easier for people from China, or Taiwan, or Japan, or Korea, or any of those areas, to be able to stay in this country.”

However, despite their willingness to help, neither Delaney nor Parrott outlined specific policy agendas to reform legal immigration or expedite the naturalization process for skilled immigrants, either during the debate or in their interviews with Yuan Media.

“I want to work with the other congressmen to do that,” Parrott said, adding “The big thing is we need to allow people who are again the best and brightest to stay in this country, and I'm thankful that they're here, because it's helping us every single day.”

In addition to advocating for talented STEM immigrants, Delaney also expressed her views on legalizing those who work on farms without the proper permits, highlighting the reliance of U.S. agriculture on this workforce. “We are a land of immigrants in America; we should include and have all of these communities come together as much as we can,” she said.