FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 8, 2026
Contact: Chris Nordstrum
Email: Chris.Nordstrum@nmlegis.gov
(Santa Fe, NM) — State Senator Cindy Nava (D-Bernalillo & Sandoval) traveled to Mexico City last month as part of the inaugural delegation of the American Mexican Leadership Council (AMLC), joining more than two dozen leaders from business, government, philanthropy and civic life for three days of discussions on trade, economic competitiveness, regional security and the future of the U.S.–Mexico relationship.
Following the August 24-26 trip, AMLC announced a series of next steps to deepen cross-border cooperation. Leaders from AMLC, the U.S.-Mexico Foundation and the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico committed to advancing plans for a joint task force to carry the delegation’s priorities forward on the future of the USMCA, tariff-free trade, supply chains and North American competitiveness. AMLC also named the delegates, including Sen. Nava, as inaugural members of a new Leadership Council that will meet quarterly to help shape the organization’s emerging 2027 policy agenda.
Sen. Nava was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and came to New Mexico with her family as a child. A former DACA recipient who later became a U.S. citizen, she has spent her career in public service, including as a senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development before her election to the Senate District 9 seat in 2024. Her participation in the delegation reflects the deep, personal ties many New Mexicans share with Mexico, and the growing role state lawmakers are playing in a relationship increasingly shaped outside of Washington.
“The U.S.–Mexico relationship has never been abstract to me—it is deeply personal. I was born in Chihuahua and brought to New Mexico as a child, growing up in a family and community shaped by both countries. That lived experience gives me a unique appreciation for the ties that bind our nations. Today, I have the privilege of turning that perspective into action—building stronger bilateral partnerships, expanding economic opportunity, and ensuring New Mexico is at the center of the future we can build together,” Sen. Nava said.
“Being in Mexico City with leaders from across the country was a reminder that New Mexico doesn’t have to wait on Washington to build the partnerships that keep our economy strong. From the Santa Teresa Port of Entry to our classrooms and our culture, Mexico is woven into who we are as a state, and I’m committed to keeping New Mexico at that table,” continued Senator Nava.
Trade with Mexico supports thousands of New Mexico jobs, and the Santa Teresa Port of Entry near Sunland Park has grown into one of the busiest commercial crossings on the southern border, moving auto parts, produce and manufactured goods between New Mexico and Chihuahua daily. With the USMCA under renegotiation, state lawmakers recognize the stakes for New Mexico’s economy are significant.
During the delegation, participants received a country briefing from the U.S. Embassy covering security, migration, trade and workforce development, and met with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s chief of staff to discuss deeper North American integration and the role of state and civic leaders in sustaining the bilateral relationship across political cycles. Delegates also visited the Ford Foundation’s Mexico City office and closed the program with a panel on philanthropy’s role in binational investment. Throughout, the delegation returned to a consistent theme: that lasting progress on trade, security and economic opportunity requires durable institutions and follow-through beyond any single administration.
“This delegation was AMLC’s mission coming to life. We brought together an extraordinary breadth of leaders from across business, government, philanthropy and civil society to listen to perspectives from both countries and begin turning dialogue into action,” said Adria Márquez Trejo, President and CEO of the American Mexican Leadership Council. “We leave Mexico City with stronger relationships, a concrete proposal for continued economic cooperation and new momentum toward a policy agenda that reflects the enormous stake Mexican Americans have in our shared future. We won’t just respond to this moment — together, we’ll help shape what comes next.”
The inaugural delegation also included Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Co-Chair of the bipartisan U.S.–Mexico Congressional Caucus; Ambassador Nathalie Rayes, AMLC Founding Board Member and Board Co-Chair and former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia; and business, philanthropic and civic leaders from across the country.
Mexico is the United States’ largest trading partner, with more than $935 billion in annual trade supporting millions of American jobs, and nearly 40 million people of Mexican heritage live in the United States, contributing almost $2 trillion annually to the U.S. economy. AMLC was formed to give Mexican American leaders a more organized, sustained role in shaping the decisions affecting both countries.
Mexico is New Mexico’s largest export destination by far: the state shipped $7.1 billion in goods to Mexico in 2025, representing 47 percent of the state’s total goods exports, more than the next several trading partners combined. New Mexico imports approximately $2.3 billion from Mexico annually. Trade with Mexico supports an estimated 29 thousand jobs in New Mexico.
Over the coming months, AMLC will draw on the delegation’s discussions and its new Leadership Council to develop a 2027 policy agenda focused on North American economic competitiveness, support for Mexican American workers and businesses, and expanded opportunity for communities in both countries.
About the American Mexican Leadership Council
The American Mexican Leadership Council is a bipartisan, cross-sector organization focused on elevating Mexican American leadership, supporting Mexicans in the United States and strengthening the partnership between the United States and Mexico. AMLC brings together leaders from business, government, philanthropy and civic life to translate the economic, cultural and political influence of Mexican Americans into meaningful policy impact.
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