SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 23: On the final day of a 21-nation summit that ended in Santiago, Chile, on Sunday with a joint commitment to work against terrorism and for free trade , President George Bush assured Mexican President Vicente Fox that he would press to ease US immigration laws, despite resistance in Congress.

Mr Bush renewed commitment to overhaul U.S. immigration laws was welcome news to Fox, who would like an open border between the two countries. Mr Bush plan would give legal status to millions of illegal immigrants, mostly Mexicans, by letting them become temporary workers.

Mr Bush outlined an immigration initiative in January that would allow immigrants from other countries and undocumented workers already in the United States to apply for three-year temporary worker stints.

The temporary workers, often called "guest workers," would have to return home after three years but could renew their permits. They would have the same rights as US workers, once steps were taken to ensure their jobs are not being sought by Americans.

At the same time, the president said he would seek an unspecified "reasonable annual increase" in the number of "green cards" for permanent U.S. residence. There are as many as 12 million illegal immigrants, perhaps half of them from Mexico, immigration analysts estimate.

Within a few days of his re-election, Mr Bush had begun to re-engage Mexico and Congress on the immigration issue, which was at the top of his agenda before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks squelched nearly all talk of more open borders.

Still, many conservative Republicans, particularly in the House of Representatives, are opposed to any immigration overhaul that might offer legal status to illegal immigrants.