By Editorial

Last week’s U.S. visit by Mexican president Vicente Fox brought the controversial subject of immigration to the forefront. The issue hits home in our own back yards. St. Joseph the Worker Center on Jordan Avenue continues to connect day laborers with jobs regardless of residency status, and the bulk of laborers working as gardeners and housekeepers in the Los Altos area are new to this country.

As history shows, immigrants have made this country the great melting pot that it is, mixing diverse cultures into a nation unlike any other. And, as Fox put it last week, “Migration has always rendered more economic benefits to the United States than the cost it entails.”

We support legal immigration to this country, in which new residents are willing to stay and assimilate, learn English and contribute as much as receive. However, we are still uncomfortable with immigrants coming and going with no intention of staying, taking advantage of this country’s resources.

We wish President Bush and Congress well in their efforts to improve this country’s immigration policies. We hope Fox’s call for more “trust” is heeded.