As we seek solutions to the problem of undocumented immigration, we must resist the temptation of thinking only from the perspective of the nation-state. We must see how our own nation has been implicated in some of the dynamics that have actively encouraged undocumented immigration. After all, we have led and benefited from a global economic and political system which relies heavily on the transnational availability of abundant, cheap and pliant labor. The task, then, is to design an immigration policy that addresses the demographic, ecological, economic and cultural needs and limits of this community we call America. This community has historically been guided by the values of inclusiveness, egalitarianism, and pluralism, even if it has not always lived up to these high ideals. A new immigration law should reflect these core values.