"The Americas—like all foreign policy areas—will hurt for attention as administration and congressional leaders focus on the U.S. domestic agenda, including battles on healthcare and economic recovery," writes Brian Wanko.

President Barack Obama has pledged support for a renewed DREAM Act push, which will see a vote in the House and the Senate before the end of the year.

In the wake of Brazil's presidential elections, AS/COA and the National Defense University and Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies held an off-the-record, high-level discussion on Brazil's global rise and strategic implications for the United States and the international community.

The outcome of the U.S. midterm elections will likely impact U.S. policy toward Latin America. AS/COA Online takes a look at the debates over free trade, Californian drug policy, border security, and immigration.

"Speculation is rampant in Washington that the November 2 mid-term elections will usher in a new phase of trade expansion for the United States," argues Eric Farnsworth in an op-ed for The Miami Herald.

An AS/COA Online interview with New Mexico’s governor covers topics ranging from the need for a hemispheric security pact to the shifting U.S.-Cuban relationship. Richardson also urged for comprehensive immigration reform, warning of “continued division” without it.

The U.S. and Mexico are ramping up their efforts to help those that need it most, writes Fred Niehaus, senior vice president of global public affairs for Western Union.