Mexico: Keep border door open

BY SAMANTHA YOUNG

Mexican President Felipe Calderón acknowledged tensions between the United States and Mexico over illegal immigration but stressed Wednesday that both countries have an interest in ensuring their citizens can cross the border legally and safely.

In an address to a joint session of the California Legislature, Calderón said the economies of the two countries are interdependent. For that reason, there must be ''shared responsibility'' for immigration on both sides of the border.

''I know that immigration is a controversial issue today in this great nation. But I strongly believe that Mexican and Mexican-American workers are a large reason for the dynamic economy of California,'' he said in prepared remarks.

``Our nations will never find prosperity by closing their doors.''

Calderón's trip to the United States -- his first as president -- has in large part been aimed at trying to reshape the immigration debate. He traveled to Massachusetts, New York and Chicago before arriving in California on Tuesday night, a state with strong economic ties to Mexico and its top trade partner.