Amid global terrorism concerns and an obsessive focus on immigration issues, Latin America hasn't gotten enough attention from Congress, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said Tuesday at the U.S. Latin America Legal Summit.

“My sense is that over the years, the relationship between the United States and Latin America has been dealing with issues of migration rather than as nations that are true equals and trading partners,” Castro told summit participants.

There are some good reasons for that, he said. “The Middle East needs to be attended to because terrorism has become a franchise there. Because Latin America countries don't have the same threats, people feel we need to attend the dangers of the world. But we should not neglect the efforts to build prosperity in the Americas.