WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. and Mexican officials held talks Tuesday on
                 immigration issues, with the American side intent on seeking ways to
                 enhance security along the 2,000-mile border.

                 Delegations from the two countries planned several hours of talks at the State
                 Department.

                 An administration official said delegates also were expected to discuss ways to
                 legalize many Mexican immigrants who are in the United States without proper
                 documentation.

                 President Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox worked toward that goal during
                 meetings in February and September but the momentum dissipated after the
                 terrorist attacks in New York and on the Pentagon.

                 Tom Ridge, Bush's director of homeland security, met with Mexican officials
                 Monday and thanked them for acting to stem the flow of terrorist money and
                 strengthening control of Mexican airspace, his spokeswoman, Susan Neely, said.

                 She said the sides agreed they have a shared interest in tightening border security
                 without disrupting trade. Since September 11, lines of vehicles at the border have
                 lengthened as inspectors have engaged in more thorough checks for security
                 violations.

                 Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, Fox's national security adviser, told reporters after Monday's
                 discussions that Mexican efforts to combat terrorism should not be seen as merely
                 a favor to the United States.

                 "Many Mexicans have suffered from the September 11 terrorist attacks," he said,
                 pointing to his country's economic decline. "Terrorism is a shared problem."

                 Aguilar Zinser said a balance should be struck between security interests and
                 smooth cross-border trade.

                 There are an estimated 3 million undocumented aliens in the United States. The two
                 governments agree that those who meet certain requirements should be entitled to
                 legal status.

                 Fox said last week he hopes to "pick up the agenda where it was left before
                 September 11 and continue advancing with it."

                 That view is shared by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and House Minority
                 Leader Dick Gephardt. During a visit to Mexico on Saturday, they said they plan to
                 push ahead with immigration reform.

                  Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.