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Israel’s large-scale attack on Iran’s nuclear and military structures threatens to further escalate Mideast tensions while weakening Iran and its proxy network.
Diana Roy covers Latin America and immigration for CFR.org. She has previously written on hemispheric affairs for the Center for International Policy and the Inter-American Dialogue. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from American University, where she also studied Spanish.
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Immigration has been an important element of U.S. economic and cultural vitality since the country’s founding. This interactive timeline outlines the evolution of U.S. immigration policy after World War II.
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International students contribute essential research and tens of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. The Trump administration has moved to curtail foreign enrollments to combat what it says is disruptive political activism and immigration abuses.
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The Trump administration’s efforts to nullify birthright citizenship for millions of U.S.-born children could overturn a nearly 160-year legal precedent.
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For more than a century, the United States and Canada have forged a strong partnership built on shared geography and economic and security cooperation. But while the two countries have traditionally had one of the closest bilateral ties in the world, relations have come under strain in recent years.
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The Trump administration’s deportations of undocumented immigrants are accelerating as part of a broader crackdown on unauthorized immigration. The focus so far has been on immigration raids across the country and hundreds of deportation flights, mainly to Latin American countries.
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CFR experts weigh in on President Trump’s raft of new tariffs, including their legality, justification, and effect on U.S. consumers.
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The island’s residents have voted in favor of a party that seeks gradual independence from Denmark. But Greenland has attracted significant attention from President Trump, who sees the island’s considerable mineral wealth and location in the Arctic as necessary for U.S. national security.
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United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
USAID is a foremost tool of U.S. soft power, administering what experts say is vital humanitarian aid worldwide each year. The Trump administration says the agency is not aligned with its priorities, putting USAID’s future in doubt. -
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Over the two centuries since Colombia’s independence, the relationship between Washington and Bogotá has evolved into a close economic and security partnership. But it has at times been strained by U.S. intervention, Cold War geopolitics, and the war on drugs.
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Panama has owned and administered the Panama Canal for nearly three decades. President Trump wants to change that to counter growing Chinese influence in Latin America.
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Over the course of two hundred years, the United States and Mexico have developed rich diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties but at times clashed over borders, migration, trade, and an escalating drug war.
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President-elect Trump has promised to commence his new term with an expansive array of executive actions, some of which could have immediate effects on U.S. foreign policy.
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The U.S. immigration system is complex, consisting of various laws, policies, and programs. Here’s what to know about immigration under a second Trump administration.
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Globally, more people than ever before voted in national elections in 2024. How did democracy fare?
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On November 5, U.S. voters will choose new leadership, with ramifications for China, immigration, the Middle East, and many other national security issues. CFR experts weigh in.
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Presidential candidates Harris and Trump differ sharply on the benefits of immigration for the U.S. economy. What role do immigrants play?
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Programs that allow foreign investors to buy residency or citizenship in another country are growing in popularity, but some carry economic and security risks.
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The fracking boom has transformed the United States into the world’s leading producer of oil and gas. With presidential candidates Harris and Trump clashing on climate and energy policy, the practice is once again in the spotlight.
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The CHIPS and Science Act seeks to revitalize the U.S. semiconductor industry amid growing fears of a China-Taiwan conflict. Where is the money going, and how is the effort playing out?
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Presidential nominees Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are set to debate for the first time. These resources offer background and analysis on the foreign policy issues facing the candidates.
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The island’s proximity to Asia makes it a critical outpost for the U.S. military and a potential hub in the event of regional conflict.
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. This primer provides some background on his foreign policy views.
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The United States maintains an extensive military footprint in the Middle East, including a number of naval assets and permanent U.S. bases. Washington’s presence has allowed it to respond to regional threats, including the Yemen-based Houthi rebels and escalating Israel-Iran tensions.
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An impending Israeli ground invasion of Rafah could threaten more than a million civilians seeking refuge in the city and further restrict humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
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Overdoses involving fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the leading cause of death among young Americans and a threat to U.S. public health, the economy, and national security. Combating the epidemic requires addressing China’s and Mexico’s roles in the global fentanyl supply chain.
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The United Nations’ ambitious development agenda aims to protect people and the planet via seventeen goals. But experts say governments aren’t doing enough to implement them.
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The Inter-American Development Bank aims to bolster economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean, but critics say reforms are needed.
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International calls for a cease-fire are mounting as the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates rapidly amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
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Low water levels have led to a traffic jam at one of the world’s busiest maritime passages. The bottleneck demonstrates how accelerating climate change is threatening global supply chains.
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The Caribbean is bearing the brunt of climate change. Governments in the region are taking steps to combat it, but are they enough?
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More than two years into the civil war in Sudan, at least twelve million people have been forcibly displaced, but experts say the country’s devastating humanitarian crisis is still not getting the international attention it deserves.
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Asylum has become a central part of the U.S. immigration debate in recent years after border crossings reached a record high in fiscal year 2023. Here’s how the asylum process works.
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The Biden administration’s proposed immigration policy aims to curb migrant flows to the United States amid record border crossings. What will it do, and how does it compare to the Trump years?
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The Amazon Rainforest plays a critical role in global climate health, but accelerating deforestation continues to raise alarm. How are the region’s governments responding?
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President-Elect Lula will soon take office in Brazil, more than a decade after his second term ended. What’s in store for this third Lula administration?
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The impeachment of President Pedro Castillo Terrones marks Peru’s latest political crisis. As violent protests extend into their second week, what’s in store for the Andean nation?
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Spurred on by worsening economic and political crises across Latin America, migration to the United States reached record levels in 2022. Here’s a look at the year’s major immigration stories.
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Given Venezuela’s urgent humanitarian needs and the global energy crunch, Washington is considering easing sanctions on Caracas in exchange for democratic reforms.
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Brazil’s presidential election is down to two polarizing candidates, and experts say the runoff will be a major test for one of the world’s largest democracies.
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Brazil has long sought a greater role on the world stage, but political upheaval and other enduring challenges have complicated its efforts.
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With the United States hosting the regional meeting for the first time since 1994, all eyes are on how President Biden will navigate growing divisions over democracy, migration, and other issues.
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Colombia’s election could deliver the country’s first left-wing president, an outcome with the potential to transform Bogota’s approaches to economic policy, peace negotiations, and foreign relations.
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El Salvador’s homicide rate plummeted in recent years, but a spate of killings has drawn attention to President Nayib Bukele’s controversial approach to tackling gang violence.
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For more than two decades, China has developed close economic and security ties with many Latin American countries, including Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela. But Beijing’s increasing sway in the region continues to raise concerns in Washington, prompting greater U.S. engagement.
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Scientists say the rain forest is approaching a critical tipping point at which the damage is irreversible.
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A year after Russia’s invasion, Ukraine is suffering a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The outflow of millions of refugees has placed a strain on neighboring countries.
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Tens of thousands of migrants have been sent back to Mexico under the Trump-era program. President Biden calls it “inhumane” but has so far been unable to end it.
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Argentina has struggled with political dysfunction and financial crises for decades. What could firebrand President Javier Milei mean for Argentina’s economy and role in the world?
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Temporary Protected Status has long been used as a humanitarian solution for migrants who are unable to return home safely. President Trump’s renewed efforts to scale back such programs have further fueled the debate over the immigration policy’s use and scope.
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The Obama-era policy protecting young undocumented immigrants from deportation has faced a raft of legal challenges. It could be up to the Supreme Court to decide the program’s fate.
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The U.S. government responds to scores of disasters each year in coordination with foreign, state, and local partners, but more frequent and severe storms, fires, and floods are straining resources.
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With its comparatively open and well-regulated immigration system, Canada remains a top destination for immigrants and refugees.
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As the coronavirus pandemic increases the need for aid around the world, donors are facing tough choices over whether to continue helping vulnerable populations abroad or focus their attention at home.
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The Caribbean island, which shares a close yet fraught relationship with the U.S. mainland, faces a multilayered economic and social crisis rooted in long-standing policy and compounded by natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, migration, and government mismanagement.
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Venezuela’s ongoing descent into economic and political chaos is a cautionary tale of the dangerous influence that resource wealth can have on developing countries.
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President Joe Biden’s attempts to grapple with a record number of migrants are keeping the role of enforcement at the center of the debate over U.S. asylum, border, and deportation policy.
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Hobbled by foreign interventions, political instability, and natural disasters, the former French colony is paralyzed by multiple crises.
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The United States accepts hundreds of thousands of foreign workers each year in a variety of industries. Persistent U.S. labor shortages and accusations of abuse have reenergized the debate over the scale of these programs.
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Refugees and Displaced Persons
The United States has long been considered a safe haven for refugees from around the world, but this could change following the Trump administration’s decision to suspend the country’s decades-old refugee resettlement program. -
The United States continues to seek strategies for responding to the growing number of migrants fleeing poverty, violence, and other challenges in the Central American region.
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Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children have been arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border each year, sparking debate over how to respond. How is the Joe Biden administration handling it?
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Comprehensive immigration reform has eluded Congress for decades. Presidents have increasingly turned to executive action to reshape asylum and border policy.