The Power Courier
Posts
🇺🇸 Presidents, Power & the Border 🇲🇽

🇺🇸 Presidents, Power & the Border 🇲🇽

How U.S. leaders have shaped trade, diplomacy, and border security—from historic summits to today’s biggest challenges.

Marco Lopez
February 17, 2025

In partnership with

What’s New This Week

Good morning, Happy President’s Day! This week, we're looking at how U.S. presidents have shaped the ever-evolving U.S.-Mexico relationship—through diplomacy, trade, and border security. From President Taft’s historic 1909 border summit to the modern fight over immigration funding, history continues to shape policy. As Mexico’s president pushes back against U.S. drug enforcement claims and tourism soars to record highs, the region remains at a crossroads—will cooperation or conflict define the future?

First time reading? Join thousands of intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.

Inside Special Sections

Trade Winds: A look back at the first U.S. presidential visit to the border in 1909 and how diplomacy shaped modern trade and security.
Power Move: From FDR’s Good Neighbor Policy to NAFTA and the USMCA, presidential trade moves that defined North America.
The Border Buzz: The shifting role of the U.S.-Mexico border—then a hub of economic expansion, now a battleground for security and migration.

Receive Honest News Today

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

The Quick Courier

POLITICS

Trump’s ‘Border Czar’ is ‘begging’ for $175 billion to ramp up immigration enforcement. Senate and House Republicans are split on how to fund Trump’s crackdown. Read more: NBC News.

Americans Divided on Spending – Some say the U.S. overspends, others want more funding. Where do you stand? Read more.

Cuomo Warns Dems on Immigration – Chris Cuomo cautions Democrats against prioritizing amnesty, calling it a 'loser' issue. Read more.

TRADE

Tariff Turbulence: Retailers Rethink Supply Chains – Uncertainty over U.S. tariffs prompts retailers to overhaul supply strategies. Read more.

GAP's $2.5 Billion Airport Expansion – Mexican airport operator GAP commits $2.5 billion to boost airport capacity by 50% through 2029. Read more.

Mexico's Tourism Surges – Mexico welcomed 45M visitors in 2024, a 7.4% jump led by the U.S. and Canada. Read more.

SECURITY AND MIGRATION

Sheinbaum Accuses U.S. of Harboring Cartels – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum claims U.S. shelters drug cartels, escalating tensions with Trump. Read more.

U.S. Spy Planes Over Mexico – The U.S. ramps up cartel surveillance with spy planes. Security boost or diplomatic risk? Read more.

Faith Groups Sue Over Church Arrests – 27 religious organizations challenge the White House's policy allowing immigration arrests in places of worship. Read more..

Trade Winds

Presidents at the Border—Taft, Wilson, and the Evolution of Cross-Border Diplomacy

Border Diplomacy

This President’s Day, it’s worth reflecting on how our nation’s leaders have shaped—and been shaped by—the U.S.-Mexico border. While presidential visits to the border might seem like a modern media spectacle, their history dates back more than a century. From high-stakes summits to diplomatic overtures, these trips reveal how shifting national priorities—whether commerce, security, or neighborly cooperation—have evolved alongside the border itself.

The 1909 Taft-Díaz Summit

In October of 1909, President William Howard Taft met Mexican President Porfirio Díaz in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. This rendezvous marked the first time a sitting U.S. President met face-to-face with a Mexican President on the border. At the time, the United States was eager to strengthen its economic and political influence in Latin America, and Porfirio Díaz—who had been in power for more than three decades—was keen to maintain stability and foreign investment in Mexico.

Interested in reading the full article? Follow the link to explore how presidential visits have shaped U.S.-Mexico relations. Dive deeper into the history and impact of cross-border diplomacy here.

Power Move

Presidential Trade Legacies – From FDR to USMCA

Trade Transformed Over Time

Today, we recognize how U.S. presidents have shaped trade and investment with Mexico—defining economic ties that impact us daily.

FDR’s Good Neighbor Policy – Setting the Foundation

In the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt abandoned interventionist policies in favor of economic cooperation. This helped stabilize U.S.-Mexico trade, even as Mexico nationalized its oil industry in 1938. FDR’s diplomatic approach set the stage for a long-term commercial partnership.

NAFTA: A Game-Changer

Under President Bill Clinton, NAFTA (1994) integrated North America’s economies, boosting cross-border trade and manufacturing. Despite criticisms over job shifts, NAFTA created one of the world’s largest trade blocs, strengthening Mexico’s role in U.S. supply chains.

USMCA: A Modernized Trade Deal

Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden revised NAFTA into the USMCA, updating labor, digital trade, and automotive production rules. The agreement reinforced Mexico as a key partner for U.S. industry, ensuring a more balanced trade approach.

The Power Move Takeaway

From FDR to Trump, U.S. presidents have set the course for U.S.-Mexico trade. As politics progresses, investors should watch how politicians frame their Mexico trade policies—because history proves that presidential leadership shapes North America’s economic future.

The Border Buzz

The Shifting Border – Then and Now

Border Then & Now

The U.S.-Mexico border has never been a fixed line—it has always been a point of tension, negotiation, and transformation. In 1909, when Presidents Taft and Díaz met in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, the border was a symbol of economic expansion. Today, it is defined by migration, security, and the fight against drug trafficking.

1909: A Border of Expansion

At the turn of the 20th century, the U.S. and Mexico saw the border as an opportunity. Railroads connected cities, industries thrived, and trade between the two nations grew rapidly. But tensions lingered—Porfirio Díaz’s government sought foreign investment while suppressing dissent, and revolution was brewing. Security concerns were real, but they were political, not criminal.

2025: A Border of Control

Fast forward to today, and the border has become a frontline for managing migration, drug trafficking, and cartel influence. Instead of industrial expansion, the U.S. now focuses on border security infrastructure, fentanyl seizures, and immigration policies. The threats have changed, but the border remains a contested space where economic interests clash with national security concerns.

The More Things Change…

While the challenges have evolved, one thing remains the same: the U.S. and Mexico must work together to manage them. Just as trade and diplomacy defined the border in 1909, cooperation is still the only way forward. Whether tackling security or commerce, history shows that the border is not just a line—it’s a reflection of the times.

Power Poll

What do you think is the most critical issue that needs to be addressed in the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship?

Join the Conversation

Thanks for reading this edition of my newsletter! I'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts about what you think are the most critical issues that need to be addressed. Email me at [email protected] or connect with me on social media using the hashtag #Intermestic.