I mean, we must act with intelligence. We must work on this

The words of Vicente Fox, former President of Mexico and a voice of reason amid the storms of politics, speak with the authority of both experience and compassion: “I mean, we must act with intelligence. We must work on this framework, so that immigration becomes an asset to both nations. Believe me, what — just the Mayor Bloomberg said here in New York, that this city would be stopped, totally stopped if it were not by the immigrants working here.” In these words lies not merely a political argument, but a moral vision — a call to wisdom, cooperation, and gratitude. Fox does not speak of laws and borders alone; he speaks of the shared destiny of peoples, the truth that movement, labor, and hope are the lifeblood of civilization itself.

The origin of this quote arises from Fox’s time as both a leader and advocate for fair immigration policy between Mexico and the United States. Having lived through decades of tension and debate between nations divided by politics yet united by people, he saw the immense value of the migrant’s labor — the hands that built the towers of cities, harvested the food of nations, and cared for the old and young alike. In this statement, made during discussions of U.S.-Mexico relations, Fox echoed the words of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who himself acknowledged that New York City, that towering symbol of ambition and diversity, would grind to a halt without its immigrant workers. Here, Fox wove together truth and pragmatism, reminding his listeners that immigration, when approached with intelligence and fairness, is not a problem to be solved, but a partnership to be strengthened.

When Fox says, “We must act with intelligence,” he speaks with the voice of ancient wisdom — for passion without wisdom leads to division, and fear without understanding leads to cruelty. The wise ruler, he implies, must govern not through prejudice, but through insight — seeing that human movement is as natural as the flowing of rivers. Throughout history, civilizations that have embraced newcomers with foresight have flourished; those that have built walls of ignorance have withered. To act with intelligence, then, is not only to manage policy, but to see humanity as one family, each person carrying within them the same hunger for dignity and purpose.

In truth, the world has always been built by migrants. Think of ancient Rome, whose greatness was forged not by Romans alone, but by peoples from every corner of its vast empire — Africans, Greeks, Syrians, Celts, and Jews — all contributing to its culture, its economy, and its glory. Or recall America, the modern Rome, whose strength was born from the sweat of immigrants: the Irish who laid the railroads, the Italians who built its cities, the Mexicans who tilled its fields, the Chinese who connected its coasts, and countless others whose names were never recorded in the books of history. Fox’s words, then, are a continuation of an eternal truth: that migration is the engine of renewal, the pulse of human progress.

When he warns that New York “would be stopped, totally stopped if it were not by the immigrants working here,” he speaks not in metaphor, but in simple reality. The invisible hands of immigrants sustain the beating heart of modern life. They clean the offices after the wealthy have gone home. They plant and pick the food that graces the tables of millions. They nurse the children of those who build empires and care for the elderly who once led them. Yet, too often, they remain unseen, unacknowledged, or treated as lesser. Fox’s words demand that we recognize their worth, not as tools of labor, but as bearers of dignity, deserving of respect, rights, and opportunity.

There is also a deeper lesson within his call for a “framework.” Fox envisions a world where nations act not from rivalry but from mutual benefit, crafting systems that honor the human spirit rather than exploit it. To build such a framework requires courage — the courage to move beyond politics into compassion, beyond suspicion into understanding. He reminds us that borders are not walls to divide souls, but lines to be crossed in cooperation. A framework born of intelligence must balance law with mercy, sovereignty with solidarity, so that migration becomes a bridge rather than a burden.

And so, my children, the lesson of Vicente Fox’s words is this: act with intelligence, and see in every migrant not a stranger, but a reflection of yourself. Remember that your ancestors, too, were travelers — seekers of better lands, bearers of dreams. If we would build a future of peace, we must begin by acknowledging the truth of interdependence — that the prosperity of one nation rests upon the labor, the hope, and the humanity of another. To reject this truth is to deny the very foundation of civilization.

Therefore, let your hearts and your policies alike be guided by wisdom. Build societies where immigration is not feared but managed with justice and foresight. Honor the worker who crosses borders not out of greed, but out of hope. For as Fox reminds us, when immigrants thrive, nations thrive. The city that welcomes the stranger never sleeps; the country that values every hand never falls. To act with intelligence, then, is not only to preserve prosperity — it is to honor the sacred unity of humankind.