A former deputy chief of staff for Vice President Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential campaign has launched a new bipartisan organization aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the United States and Mexico while advocating for one of the nation's largest Latino communities.
Sergio Gonzales, founder of the American Mexican Leadership Council (AMLC), said the group represents a novel approach to addressing issues affecting Mexican-Americans and U.S.-Mexico ties. "This organization is truly the first of its kind, an organization that is connecting leaders across community of 40 million people from across the country, and also focused on the relationship with Mexico," Gonzales told The Hill.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican leaders involved in the AMLC point to the economic and strategic importance of U.S.-Mexico relations. Former Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican who chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee and represented South Florida, is serving on the group's board.
Ros-Lehtinen has long championed strong U.S.-Latin America ties during her congressional career spanning from 1989 to 2018. The AMLC's bipartisan structure reflects an effort to present Mexico relations as a nonpartisan priority.
Gonzales noted that Mexico is now the United States' largest trading partner, exchanging more than $2.5 billion in goods and services daily. "Major industries have a lot at stake when it comes to partnership," he said. "This organization really is about bringing our Mexican American community together and connecting leaders so that we can work with decision makers and experts across different sectors, including business, to have a very thoughtful, constructive and forward leaning discussion and agenda when it comes to the economic future."
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic figures involved in the AMLC frame the initiative as a way to amplify Mexican-American voices in policy discussions. Fabian Núñez, former speaker of the California State Assembly and a Democrat, is serving on the group's board alongside other prominent figures.
Gonzales emphasized the economic dimensions of the diaspora community's influence. "How can we work together as a diaspora, as the Mexican American community, and how can we ensure that we're working together with Mexico to expand economic opportunity and prosperity and regional economic security," he said. Federico Peña, who served as secretary of Transportation under President Bill Clinton, is also part of the board leadership.
Nathalie Rayes, the group's co-chair and a former ambassador to Croatia appointed during the Biden administration, said in a statement: "The American Mexican Leadership Council is built to advance that kind of leadership – strengthening ties, building trust, and delivering real impact for our communities in both countries."
What the Numbers Show
Mexico is currently the United States' largest trading partner, according to Commerce Department data. The two countries exchange more than $2.5 billion in goods and services every day.
The Mexican-American population stands at approximately 40 million people, making it one of the largest ethnic communities in the United States. Census Bureau estimates indicate Mexican-Americans represent roughly 12 percent of the total U.S. population.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown significantly under the USMCA trade agreement, which replaced NAFTA in 2020. The treaty, negotiated during the Trump administration and ratified by Congress with bipartisan support, governs approximately $1.7 trillion in annual trade.
The Bottom Line
The AMLC launch reflects growing efforts to organize Mexican-American political influence around foreign policy and economic issues affecting U.S.-Mexico relations. With board members spanning from Clinton-era officials to Republican congresswomen, the group is positioning itself as a bipartisan voice on an issue that has historically received bipartisan support in Congress.
The organization faces challenges typical of new advocacy groups, including establishing credibility with policymakers and differentiating its agenda from existing Latino advocacy organizations. Whether it can deliver on its stated goals of influencing economic policy discussions remains to be seen.