Rodrigo Cervantes/*KJZZ

Marc Miller, dean at the University of Arizona’s College of Law, in Mexico City.

MEXICO CITY — A protracted fight over President Trump’s push for a border wall has raised political tensions with Mexico. But some U.S. institutions are still betting on partnerships with their southern neighbor — including one Arizona school that wants to keep training Mexican diplomats.

The University of Arizona has held joint activities with Mexican universities and institutions for decades. And its law school wants to keep it that way and build new programs.

Marc Miller is dean at the University of Arizona’s College of Law. He visited Mexico City to promote continuous partnerships, which he considers critical for the institution and its students.

“Those forces are deeper and more powerful than any wall, than any politician or than any political position,” Miller said.

The law school’s projects include a training program for Mexican diplomats. The UA committee met with leadership from the recently inaugurated government of Mexico hoping to continue with the program.

“The current political battles and disputes in the U.S. and the current negotiations or tensions to the extension that they are in the news between the U.S. and Mexico are irrelevant and do not come up in our conversations. These are partnerships for the long haul,” said the dean.