From Herald Wire Services

MEXICO CITY -- President Vicente Fox begins a three-day tour of U.S. border states today in a visit that he said Monday he hoped would encourage discussion of immigration issues.

Fox will travel to Phoenix; Santa Fe, N.M., and Austin, Texas, on a mission to fortify economic and political ties with local officials after months in which Mexican and U.S. federal officials have made little progress on the No. 1 item on his agenda: easing the lives of Mexican immigrants in the United States.

Fox stressed that he had ''no high expectations'' on immigration matters, and added, ''let's not forget, immigration is a federal issue.'' Nevertheless, he hoped the meetings with state officials would encourage immigration talks, noting that he had raised the issue with President Bush when they met in Thailand on Oct. 20.

Fox has been frustrated in his efforts to improve the conditions under which Mexicans travel to and work in the United States. While Bush initially welcomed Fox's overtures, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks led to tougher immigration regulations, not the looser ones Fox had hoped for.

Fox said he was optimistic about initiatives in the U.S. Congress to give amnesty to undocumented agricultural workers or create guest-worker programs.