Sergio Bustos
Gannett News Service
Mar. 13, 2003 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - Democratic and Republican lawmakers said Wednesday that they have formed a caucus to improve U.S.-Mexican relations but will not immediately push Congress to tackle the thorniest issue between the two countries: immigration.

Instead, the U.S.-Mexico Congressional Caucus will concentrate on supporting a stronger trade relationship with Mexico, said Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif. Mexico trade has almost tripled, to nearly $250 billion a year, since passage of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.

Joining Dreier at a Capitol Hill news conference was Rolf Lundberg, a top official with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"In many ways, the most important aspect of (our relationship) is the economic bond between our two countries," Dreier said. "Lives can be improved on both sides of the border if we improve our already strong economic ties."

He said immigration is an "ancillary" issue in U.S.-Mexican relations.

That opinion is not shared by the Mexican government. Mexican President Vicente Fox has urged President Bush to give the estimated 4 million to 5 million illegal Mexican immigrants a chance to become legal residents.

Both countries had been aggressively negotiating the terms of a migration accord, but the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks tabled talks indefinitely. Mexico's economy is partly dependent on the estimated $9 billion Mexicans in the United States send to family in Mexico yearly.

It was unclear what direction the caucus, made up of 13 Republicans and 11 Democrats from 11 states, will take in the coming months. It has no specific agenda and no plans to introduce legislation soon.

Three Arizona lawmakers - Reps. Jeff Flake, J.D. Hayworth and Jim Kolbe, all Republicans - also joined the caucus.

Flake said the group needed time to craft its agenda, but he expected it to deal with a range of issues, including immigration.

He is working to generate support among caucus members for a bill he and Kolbe are drawing up to create a guest worker program with Mexico. The bill would give Mexicans temporary visas to live and work in the United States for up to two years.

Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz., who plans to join the caucus, said he was encouraged by formation of the group and expected immigration to become a top issue.

"You can't ignore it," he said.

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