Mexican president addresses Legislature.

By E.J. Schultz / The Fresno Bee

Mexican President Vicente Fox, addressing the California Legislature on Thursday, called the U.S. Senate’s passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill “a moment that millions of families have been hoping for.”

But Fox, who later met with Gov. Schwarzenegger, also said there is “more debate ahead,” and committed his government to a four-pronged plan aimed at improving U.S.-Mexico relations.

“Mexico believes that it will take more than just enforcement or building walls to truly solve the challenges posed by the migration phenomenon, and that comprehensive reform is in the interest of both nations,” he told California lawmakers in the late afternoon speech.

The address came on the same day the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would increase border security, form a new guest-worker program and create a path to citizenship for some of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. The passage sets up a showdown this summer with the House of Representatives, which has passed a more enforcement-focused measure.

Fox’s 23-minute speech focused as much on his own six-year record -- his presidential term ends in December -- as it did on his country’s relationship with California. He touted advances in human rights and said that “today, Mexico has the soundest, strongest, safest and most stable economy of our lifetimes.”

His four-point plan committed Mexico to:

Respecting the right of the United States to protect its borders.

Continue domestic economic growth so migration is “no longer a necessity.”

Develop border policies with respect for human rights and fighting “all forms of human smuggling and trafficking.”

Adjust Mexico’s migration policy to “safeguard our borders under the principle of shared responsibility.”

Some Republicans didn’t buy it.

Assembly Republican Leader George Plescia of San Diego said it “seemed like a campaign speech,” and “I just don’t know how serious [Mexico is] when they mention that they respect our sovereignty and our right to enforce our borders.”

Assembly Member Bill Maze, R-Visalia, said in an interview Thursday morning that “there is no reason for him to be in this chamber whatsoever,” adding that “as far as I’m concerned, this president [Fox] sanctioned violation of our national security and our national laws.”

But Assembly Member Mike Villines, R-Clovis, and Sen. Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno, gave the speech a mostly upbeat review.

“I thought it was a very positive speech,” Villines said.

So did Assembly Democrats Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, and Juan Arambula, D-Fresno. “He did a great job outlining some of the action items his government is taking,” Parra said.

Assembly Republican leaders earlier this week had tried to arrange a meeting with Fox, but the president declined due to schedule constraints. Republicans had hoped to discuss crime issues, including a request that Mexico “immediately” turn over to U.S. officials Mexican residents committing serious crimes on U.S. soil, according to a letter sent to Fox by Plescia.

Assembly Speaker Fabián Núñez, D-Los Angeles, who met privately with Fox before the speech, said that “there’s no reason why anybody ought to be critical of such a positive, generous speech that talks about the friendship and the mutual vision that Mexico has with this country.”

After the speech, Fox met privately with Schwarzenegger and advisers. The leaders discussed a variety of topics, including trade, environment and a “frank conversation about border security and immigration issues,” according to a statement from the governor’s office.

“The governor repeated his belief that immigration and border security are federal issues,” according to the statement. But Schwarzenegger also told Fox that “he is prepared to send National Guard troops to temporarily assist in U.S. Border Patrol operations.”

The governor has criticized President Bush’s plan to send 6,000 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexican border but has said he will support it on a temporary basis.

Fox’s California stop is the last leg of a four-day tour that has included visits to Utah and Washington state. Today, he is scheduled to give a speech to the California Chamber of Commerce and the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“I think it’s a good sign for the Mexicans living abroad that he’s here,” said Teresa de la Rosa, a Porterville resident who operates a consulting service for immigrants. In a phone interview Thursday morning, she said she hopes Fox can reiterate to the governor that National Guard troops be used for administration only, not enforcement.

But Noé Hernández, a Fresno-based member of the California immigrants rights group Centro Azteca, said that Fox’s visit was purely political. Hernández said he would rather Fox remain in Mexico and work to improve the country’s economy.

“The immigration issue is an issue of the United States, not Mexico,” he said in a phone interview earlier this week. “He’s wasting his time here.”

The reporter can be reached at eschultz@fresnobee.com or (916) 326-5541.