Policy Priorities
U.S. Leadership in the Hemisphere
We work to guarantee the United States remains the leading economic, political, and military power in the Western Hemisphere.Hemispheric Security is National Security
Our strategy begins with the principle that the safety of the U.S. depends on the stability of our neighbors—security must start at home and next door.Border Integrity and Homeland Defense
From stopping illicit flows to dismantling cartel-state alliances, we push for decisive policies that secure the border and reinforce our internal defenses.Push Back Against Chinese Influence
China is expanding its influence across Latin America—we’re exposing it and pushing back with policy and partnerships that protect U.S. interests.
At the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), we believe that safeguarding the homeland starts with securing our own neighborhood. The Western Hemisphere Initiative was launched to reaffirm and strengthen America's role as the undisputed leader in the region. Guided by the America First vision, we are committed to countering foreign adversaries—such as Communist China—who seek to undermine U.S. influence and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This initiative isn't about short-term fixes—it's a long-term strategy to secure our borders, assert U.S. dominance, and build strong alliances across the hemisphere. By uniting policy, research, and action, the Western Hemisphere Initiative ensures America leads from a position of strength, rooted in sovereignty, and focused on the security and prosperity of our people.
In a fast-moving world, the Western Hemisphere is a front line. Our team is actively engaged—on the ground, in the room, and leading the conversation. We’re tracking critical developments, forging key alliances, and driving the ideas that keep America in command. Because if the United States doesn’t lead here, someone else will—and that’s a risk we won’t take.
Team
The Honorable Chad Wolf
Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer & Chair of AFPI’s Center for Homeland Security & Immigration
The Honorable Robert Wilkie
Co-Chair, Center for American Security
Joshua Treviño
Senior Fellow for the Western Hemisphere Initiative
Melissa Ford Maldonado
Director of the Western Hemisphere Initiative
Kristen Ziccarelli
Director of Production and Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Homeland Security and Immigration
Latest
News Release
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May 8, 2025
AFPI Statement on Lee Rizzuto’s Confirmation Hearing as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS)
As the U.S. Senate conducts the confirmation hearing of Lee Rizzuto to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) strongly supports his confirmation and the mission ahead to restore American leadership across the Western Hemisphere.
Memorandum
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April 18, 2025
AFPI Staff Monitor April Presidential Runoff Elections
On April 13, 2025, we had the opportunity to observe Ecuador’s presidential runoff election firsthand. Hosted by Ecuador’s National Electoral Council (Consejo Nacional Electoral or CNE), the experience involved a full day of election observance in Quito, lending critical insights into the country’s electoral process, public sentiment, and security environment.
Op-Ed
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March 19, 2025
Trump has Mexico on the ropes
An extraordinary episode in the two centuries of Mexican-American relations unfolded on Feb. 27, as aircraft of the Mexican state flew northward to various locations across the U.S. They carried within them 29 of the most-wanted Mexican-cartel leaders hitherto held in their own country, and now remanded to the justice of the Americans.
Op-Ed
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March 3, 2025
Yes, there is a Mexican state-cartel alliance
The Mexican drug-trafficking organizations have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico,” announced the White House last month, buried in the official statement on US tariffs on that country’s goods. The declaration has sent shockwaves through Mexico.