Mexican President Vicente Fox told hundreds of farm workers here Wednesday that neither his country nor the United States can go it alone in trying to fix immigration problems.

Mexican President Vicente Fox holds up a couple of apples during his tour of G&G Orchards, believed to be the only Hispanic-owned apple warehouse in Washington state, in Yakima, Wash., on Wednesday, May 24, 2006. One of the topics that came up during his visit was the tariffs Mexico puts on apple imports from the United States. [AP]

"It's clear the purpose is to reach an agreement that can give security, that can give legality, that can give flow to the migrant people," Fox said in Spanish on his second day of a four-day visit to the western U.S. "I think we are closer to the end of this route. This is a shared responsibility, the immigration reform."

Fox's speech came on the same day the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to limit debate on election-year immigration legislation. That cleared the way for final passage later this week of a bill that calls for tougher border security as well as an eventual chance at citizenship for millions of men and women in this country illegally.

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire specifically pressed Fox to visit the eastern part of her state, where thousands of Hispanic workers ¡ª many of them illegal immigrants ¡ª labor in agriculture and comprise as much as 90 percent of the population in some communities. Some Washington farmers are worried that a border crackdown could create a shortage of workers.

In Yakima, Fox toured a 700-acre cherry, apple and pear orchard and an apple-packing warehouse owned by Rene and Carmen Garcia. Their operation, G&G Orchards, is believed to be the only Hispanic-owned apple warehouse in Washington state.

"So far, we're looking for a bigger crop this year, and I'm getting nervous," Rene Garcia said. "We're not seeing the people circulating around looking for jobs."

Six busloads of farm workers, farm owners and others welcomed Fox.

Enrique Diaz, 67, a farmworker originally from Colima, Mexico, has lived in the central Washington city of Pasco for about 30 years. He said he came here to make a better living and has been a citizen since 1976.

Diaz said he hopes the main message Fox walks away with is immigrants' need for amnesty.

"There's a lot of pressure. They're both suffering ¡ª people who aren't residents and people who are," Diaz said.

Fox flew to Washington state to meet with farmers in the Yakima Valley and Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski after an appearance earlier in the day in Utah.

On Thursday, Fox is to attend a breakfast with business leaders in Seattle, visit a community health center, and have lunch with other business groups. He then heads to California to address lawmakers and meet with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Schwarzenegger said he would tell Fox that his government needs to do more to stop illegal immigration into the U.S.

He also stepped closer Wednesday to saying he would help carry out President Bush's plan to send National Guard troops to the border to back up the Border Patrol.

"I am prepared to commit the California National Guard troops in support of border patrol operations, but, as I said, it has to be on a temporary basis," Schwarzenegger said.

He said he wants the administration to commit to an end date and funding before he orders the deployment.

Fox told a special session of the Utah Legislature that the most pressing issue for U.S.-Mexico relations is immigration.

"One cannot underestimate the importance of this moment and how complex this issue is for our two nations," said Fox, speaking in English. "Since the beginning of my administration, the government of Mexico has promoted the establishment of a new system that regulates the movement of people across our border in a manner which is legal, safe and orderly."

Fox said his country does not support undocumented migration and that Mexico must expand economic growth so it is not necessary for people to seek work and benefits elsewhere.

Democracy cannot flourish unless there is economic freedom to support it, he said.

"Until recently, Mexico was trapped in a vicious cycle of economic crisis, recurring crisis. But we have set out to change that," he said. "Today, Mexico has the soundest, safest, most stable economy of our lifetime."

He said that 25 million impoverished Mexicans now have access to health, educational and nutritional support and that his administration has spent more on improving the lives of its residents than any other Mexican administration.

Fox said investing in education is vital to developing a robust Mexican economy that residents don't want to leave, and noted that about 1 million Mexican students are offered scholarships.

"I am absolutely convinced that those 1 million young (people) would have been trying to get to the United States to look for a job," he said.

Several dozen protesters gathered outside the state Capitol, waving American flags and carrying signs attacking proposals to offer illegal immigrants amnesty. The Minuteman Project, which opposes illegal immigration, organized the demonstration.