In a move that was anticipated yet striking on the international stage, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration unveiled its new National Security Strategy, placing immigration at the forefront and redefining America’s relationship with the world. This long-awaited document reveals a radical shift in perspective, moving from “global presence” to “regional dominance,” with a special focus on the Western Hemisphere and Latin America.
Re-centering Priorities: From Global Power to Regional Control
The new U.S. strategy goes beyond identifying traditional threats, positioning “border security” at the heart of national priorities. Immigration is no longer merely a social or humanitarian issue but a challenge both civilization-wide and security-oriented. Simultaneously, the document reorganizes geopolitical priorities, reducing attention to tensions in Asia and the Middle East—even with China emerging as a key competitor—in favor of strengthening U.S. influence in its immediate neighborhood.
Trump appears to be updating the two-century-old “Monroe Doctrine,” originally meant to bar foreign interference in Latin America. Today, this vision takes shape as a strategy allowing the administration to intervene in the region, from combating drug trafficking to monitoring critical resources like the Panama Canal.
Europe in the Crosshairs: From Ally to Symbolic Threat
The strategy does not stop at U.S. borders; it portrays Europe as a region needing “realignment” of its values. According to the document, European values regarding immigration and freedom of expression pose a threat to U.S. interests, and the administration may support opponents of these values, opening the door to indirect interference in European domestic politics.
Germany swiftly rejected these messages, with Foreign Minister Johan Vadifol emphasizing that the country does not require “advice from abroad,” asserting that freedom of expression and societal organization are not for U.S. recommendation.
Immigration as a Civilizational Crisis: Between Politics and Identity
What distinguishes Trump’s strategy is the reframing of immigration from a political or economic matter into a cultural and civilizational challenge. Immigration is portrayed as a potential threat to American identity and Western values, positioning the administration as a “defender of civilization.”
This shift reflects internal tensions within American society, grappling with rising cultural diversity and immigration—tensions now projected onto foreign policy.
Global Implications
The new strategy carries wide-ranging effects:
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Humanitarian impact: Migrant-sending countries, particularly in Latin America and Africa, may face stringent travel and asylum restrictions, exacerbating social and economic crises.
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Europe: U.S.-European tensions are likely to intensify, altering traditional alliances now centered on “immediate self-interest.”
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Globally: The strategy may strengthen security and border policies while reducing international cooperation on migration and labor mobility.
Critical Reading: Beyond Security
This is not merely a policy on immigration or security—it is a vision for reshaping the international system: from multipolarity to restricted regional influence; from a multi-role state to a central actor focused on direct interests.
At the heart of the strategy lies a deeper conflict: between the desire to protect national identity and the need to confront a changing world, between humanitarian values and political calculations, between multiculturalism and traditional identities.
Trump does not just close borders—he proposes a global model based on nationalism, identity, and regional dominance, a model whose repercussions extend far beyond the U.S. and will affect the entire planet.
