"On the one hand, your economy requires low skill laborers, about half a million of them . . . and the double standard is that, on the other hand, there is no legal way to do it," Carlos de Icaza, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, said Thursday during a visit to Salt Lake City.

Icaza is scheduled to meet with Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. this afternoon during his two-day trip to Utah.

Icaza's visit was prompted by an invitation to speak at Brigham Young University. He was scheduled to lecture Thursday night about the relationship between the United States and Mexico.

He also was scheduled to meet with leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and business leaders and the Mexican community before returning to his Washington, D.C., office tonight.

On Thursday, Icaza appeared before The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board in an hourlong meeting during which he answered questions about the Mexican government's view on immigration.

Icaza, who assumed his post in March 2004, said immigration is a shared responsibility between the United States and Mexico because "it's a phenomenon driven by economic effect." Mexico is ready to work with the U.S. government on immigration issues, he said.

"So I think the objective of obtaining a humane, safe and dignified legal migration flow between both our countries will require that we work together," he said.

Later, Icaza said: "In order to face the challenge of immigration, you need comprehensive immigration reform that should include a guest worker program and attention to the situation of the people that are already here, and from our point of view, what's important is to recognize that they have human rights and labor rights."

Icaza said Mexico has had a guest worker program with Canada for 30 years. Some 300,000 Mexicans have gone to work and returned to their own country, he said. Through the guest worker program, workers undergo background checks and sign contracts that guarantee they get paid, Icaza said.

Icaza said Mexico's concern is that millions of workers in the United States are unprotected and it wants to make sure their human rights are respected.

"The situation we have between United States and Mexico is that we do not have an agreement, an understanding, a legal way in which the demand for workers in this country can be met," he said.

Despite previous discussions about Mexican President Vicente Fox visiting Utah in early 2006, a spokesman for Icaza said the ambassador was not in Utah to talk about a Fox visit.

Roughly 140,000 Mexicans live in Utah, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

jsanchez@sltrib.com